in their approaches unto God by Him seing they want not a friend alwayes present in that Court. For this end also He is said to be standing someway to declare His readinesse to execute what may tend to His Peoples edification and consolation for as a painfull shepherd He standeth to feed the Flock Micah 5. vers 4. Fourthly He is said to have seven horns and seven eyes and these again are expounded to be the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth by these no created thing can be understood for that which is the Lambs power or horns must be Omnipotent that which is His eye must be Omniscient and that which is through all the Earth must be Omnipresent this therefore must be understood of the third Person of the holy Trinitie as was expounded Chap. 1.4 And Chap. 4.5 Here He is called in respect of His manifold operations seven horns and seven eyes of the Lamb because of that order of operation that is among the Persons of the blessed Trinitie whereof we spoke in the places formerly cited The last part of the description recorded here is in vers 7. where the Lambs advancing as it were to Him that sitteth upon the Throne and His actuall taking the Book out of His hand to open the same is expressed And he came and took the Book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne this could not but be a comfortable sight to Iohn who having formerly given over the case as desperate doth now see this lovely Lamb proceed so far in the discovering of what was contained in this Book And here we have first the three Persons of the Holy Trinitie distinctly holden forth For there is 1. one upon the Throne with the Book in His hand 2. there is the Lamb 3. there are the seven Spirits of God distinct from the former two and all these on the same Throne Secondly We may see the three Offices of the Mediator holden forth here For 1. That He is a Lamb slain signifieth His Priestly Office 2. That He is upon the Throne and hath horns and power doth hold forth His Kingly Office 3. That He taketh the Book to open and to reveal Gods mind to His Church is an expresse evidence of His being Prophet From all that is spoken two things are mainly to be observed 1. That the Lord hath a speciall overruling providence over all things that concern His Church There is nothing that falleth out which is new to Him but what He hath determined and written down as it were before the beginning of the world This is a great consolation to His Church there is no enemy that doth rise up against her nor any heresie that breaketh out among her members nor any event that occasionally she seemeth to meet with but these were fully determined by the Lord before the beginning of the world In the second part of the words we see of what excellent worth the Mediator is beyond all creatures in Heaven and Earth how great need there is of Him and how wretched and miserable we would be without Him All the most glorious creatures in Heaven beside and all the fulnesse of the earth could not give us ground of comfortable worshipping before God if there were not a Mediator We may see also that the great cause of His Peoples heartlesnesse is that he is not acknowledged in their straits O how excellent a One is the Mediator and O how happy a thing were it continually to be improving Him Lord teach us that and to Him be praise for ever Amen LECTURE II. Vers. 8. And when he had taken the book the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb having every one of them harps and golden vials full of odours which are the prayers of saints 9. And they sung a new song saying Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy bloâ—d out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation 10. And hast made us unto our God kings and priests and we shall reign on the earth 11. And I beheld and I heard the voice of many Angels round about the Throne and the beasts and the elders and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands 12. Saying with a loud voice Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing 13. And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea and all that are in them heard I saying Blessing honour glory and power be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever 14. And the four beasts said Amen And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped Him that liveth for ever and ever THis is the third part of the Chapter and expresseth the main scope of what went before to wit the exalting of the Mediator This is cast in betwixt His taking of the Book out of the hand of Him that sat upon the Throne and His proceeding actually to open the same that this singular work of the Mediator may be made the more observable The occasion of the Song is in the beginning of vers 8. And when he had taken the Book c. that is when by this appearing of the Mediator in His Office they had ground to expect the opening up of the within-contained Mysteries Then they praise The praise it self may be taken up in three parts according to the severall parties that take part therein For 1. The redeemed Church begin and they sing in the last part of the 8. vers and in the 9. and 10. verses Then 2. The Angels follow vers 11 and 12. In the third place all creatures are brought-in joyning in this Song vers 13. And because the Redeemed have most interest in and obligation to the Mediator whose praise is peculiarly expressed here Therefore as they begin so they close vers 14 In the first part First The redeemed Church are described in reference to this work vers 8. Secondly Their praise is expressed vers 9. and 10. In their description they are called four beasts and twenty four Elders whereof we spoke in the fomer Chapter and shew that by them most probably is holden forth the Ministers and Professors of Christs Militant Gospel-church and this place doth confirm the same for they are contradistinguished from Angels vers 11. and are said to be Redeemed and made Kings and Priests unto God which agreeth to all Believers even upon earth as Chap. 1. vers 6. Again their work here is not only to praise but to pray for they have vials full of odours as well as harps vers 8. And they are said to be sharers of Christs spirituall Dominion and to be Priests to Him even on earth yea their
is said to be seen of them 1 Tim. 3.16 and thereby they discern His manifold wisdom in the way of the Gospel as it is Eph. 3.10 for which cause they sing at His birth Luke 2. vers 13. as being glad to be the declarerâ—s of such glad tidings And no question many other wayes they are in this delighted and rejoyced and so have good ground to praise 3. This suffering of Christs and His Redemption bringeth with it the Salvation of the lost Elect who are many and their Salvation being a thing that glorifieth God and relieveth such as have been loved of Him from Eternal Wo it cannot but be delightsome to them for even the Elect Angels have a kind of sympathy with Elect sinners who are given to Christ for which cause they are said to have joy over a repenting sinner Luke 15.7 and 10. and therefore they may be conceived to praise upon the account of Christs dying because that redoundeth so much to the good of the Church 4. Christ by His death hath obtâ—ined a Name even above principalities and powers unto which God hath highly exalted Him Philip. 2.9 c. for which cause it is said Heb. 1.6 when He bringeth-in the first begotten into the world He saith let all the Angels of God Worship Him So that in praising Him that was slain they give obedience to Gods Ordinance in adoring Him who is the Son of God and who by His death hath not lost any thing of the Glory due to Him but thereby hath declared Himself to be worthy of the same and therefore it is particularly worthy to be mentioned to His commendation The third company that praise vers 13. is Every creature which is in heaven on earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea and all that arâ— iâ— them c. This looketh to the reasonlesse creatures that are contradistinguished from the redeemed and from the Angels called sometimes the whole Creation which by sin is made subject to vanity and is said to groan under the same Rom. 8.20 21 22. These are brought in not as if formally they could expresse praise But 1. to shew the gloriousnesse of this Object to whom praise is due It will be a task and employment to all creatures to praise Him 2. It sheweth some advantage that by Christs death sometime is to redound to them when they shall be freed from the bondage of corruption and brought unto the glorious liberty of the Children of God Rom. 8.21 In reference to which it is said they groan and travell as desirous of this change vers 22. and according to this they may be said to praise here as they groan there The words wherein they expresse their praise are four to wit blessing honour glory and power which were formerly spoken of There is some difference in the object of their praise as to the expression thereof from these who went before for they ascribe it to Him that sitteth upon the Thronâ— and to the Lamb for ever whereas the Lamb only was mentioned formerly Yet indeed there is no difference for when the Lamb is mentioned who is Mediator God that sitteth upon the Throne is understood as dwelling in Him And by this we may see 1. that the Glory and Worship which is given to the Lamb here is Divine and Supream because its that same which is given to Him that sitteth upon the Throne 2. We may see that it is the same worship and that whether God or the Mediator be expressed they are both worshipped in the same act for it cannot be said that this is any other worship than what the redeemed or Angels gave in the former Verses nor that there is any different object worshipped here seing that it is the same worship which is ascribed in all the songs Neither will any think that He that sitteth upon the Throne was lesse worshipped in the song of the redeemed and of the Angels where He was not formally mentioned than in this If any say that the Lamb is said to be worthy to receive glory c. which supponeth this to be a communicated glory Ans. We may see the inconsequencie of this by considering what is said of Him that sitteth upon the Throne Chap. 4. vers 11. and we may acquiesce in the interpretation thereof that is given In the last place when all the creatures have done the redeemed again come in vers 14. and they close this song because their interest is most and their engagements deepest 1. The four beasts say Amen thus the Ministers begin What they say is in this word Amen which is a word that usually closeth Prayer and doth import some clearnesse of Faith and confidence in the thing asserted and some vehement desire of attaining the thing prayed-for Here it is set down as the expression of hearts who are indeed passionatly desirous to have the Lords praise glorious and yet convinced to be uttterly insufficient for the same and therefore they close in a manner when they begin and they are beginning when they close And all is but rather an asâ—enting to the glory that is given and an acknowledging that all is due to Him than a reall performing of any thing in their own estimation In the last place the four and twenty Elders follow and they have nothing to say but fall down and worship Him that livâ—th for ever and ever The beasts say not much they expresse nothing but fall down silent as being overcome and infinitly outreached by the glorious and incomprehensible excellencie of the blessed Object yet is their praise no lesse acceptable to God than if there were many expressions because silence both in Prayer and Praise doth often speak more and louder than great noise of words And here we see that where the heart is inwardly weighted with the convictions of Gods goodnesse and ones own need and bended with love or overwhelmed in a manner with holy fear and reverence that it can expresse nothing yet even then there may be an acceptable worshipping of God Yea this silence is marked as the yond-most step or greatest length of praise that they did or could attain unto Observe 1. That in our Lord Jesus and in the execution of His Offices there is much ground of praise so much as may take up all creatures and an infinit deal more and it should be the task of all creatures in Heaven and earth to be setting forth His praise all of these companies say Worthy is the Lamb c. It is a wonder when this is their task that so few are taken up with it From the occasion Obs. 2. That the opening of this Revelation is a ground of praise 3. That many excellent things come by Christs purchase to the Redeemed These cannot be soon numbered O what are they beholden to Him Obs. 4. That it is praise to Jesus Christ and it is even almost all that Believers come to in the work of praise to be telling
is sent he turns it over in a thanksgiving to Christ especially pitching on Him as looking to the benefits and priviledges they injoyed through Him as being in a speciall way purchased by Him and this thanksgiving or doxologie is all that he and all Saints can give Christ for all that He hath done for them unto him be glory and dominion Believers in looking on Christs purchase would be more in ascribing glory and dominion to Him not that they can add any new glory to Him or enlarge His Dominion but it is to acknowledge that to Him belongs glory and dominion as it 's afterwards Chap. 5. vers 12. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and glory and blessing It 's Believers expression and hearty assent in approving Gods purpose and project in making Him Head over all the Church Vers. 7. He seems to come back where he left when he began his thanksgiving to speak of Jesus Christ under the last title of Prince of the Kings of the earth and that by way of pre-occupying an objection which carnall hearts might make and it is this Is He Prince of the Kings of the earth who was put to death and laid in the Grave Where Is He now if He be such a Prince He answereth Behold he cometh with clouds though many profane carnall hearts now do not acknowledge Him yet He shall one day be acknowledged He is now out of sight but it will not be long so He is making ready for His coming to Judgement and is coming Chap. 22.20 Surely I come quickly This coming in the present time implyeth two things 1. The seasonablnesse of His coming He misses no time He comes quickly 2. That even the short time He delayes He is making ready as it were for His coming He is leading Witnesses and fitting Processes and discovering the truth and falshood of every thing and every thing that may further His coming is going forward He is not idle in reference to His last coming to Judgement but is hasting all Secondly His coming to Judgement is set out in the majesty and statelinesse of it under an expression ordinary in the Prophets as much of this Book is He cometh with clouds So Psal. 97.2 Clouds and darknesse are round about him and Mat. 24.30 He shall come in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory So Psal. 18.10 11. To set out the statelinesse of the Judge that cometh thus backed with Coelestiall Majesty Thirdly His coming is set out by the palpablenesse and visiblenesse of it Every eye shall see him though most part of Atheists think not of his coming now yet when He shall come there shall not be a reasonable creature that ever had life on Earth whether Believer or unbeliever but they shall with their eyes see Him in that day Fourthly Among them that shall see Him these are added They also who peirced Him under which is comprehended His greatest Enemies and it takes in both those who had their hands hote in his bloud and killed him bodily and those who crucified and do crucifie Him spiritually as it 's said Chap. 11.8 He was crucified in spirituall Sodom they shall all in that day be called before His Barr and be forced to look on Him A fifth circumstance in His coming All kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him in the Originall all the Tribes of the earth it is a word borrowed from the Iews their manner of reckoning who counted their Kingdoms by Tribes The meaning is all the Kingdoms of the earth and those that laugh at Him now and think little of His coming when it is spoken of shall wail because of Him that is because of their slighting of Him and now seeing Him to be their Judge whom they slighted and contemned and though there be now a kindly mourning like that in Zach. 12.10 They shall look â—pon Him whom they have pierced and they shall mourn yet this being to be at the day of Judgement and spoken of the enemies that think nothing of Him now we take it to be an anxious howling of enemies when they shall see Christ come in the clouds to the great Judgement and all His Angels and Saints about Him as Matth. 24.30 Theâ— shall all the Tribes of the earth mourn Sixtly There is a sixth circumstance added even so Amen which is Iohns setting to his seal to His coming and it s doubled as it is ordinary both in the Greek and Hebrew He wisheth He may come and believeth He will come that it may be as he hath said even as he closeth his Revelation Amen Even so come Lord Iesus And so it looketh to His stately way of coming and the effects it shall have in the world it being for His Glory to vindicate Himself from the rubs that His profane enemies put upon Him in the world he sayes Amen to that even so Amen Observe 1. Our Lord Jesus that was Crucified and thought little of shall be as high as ever He was low in the open view of all His enemies The time is coming and now is advancing fast forward when He shall take unto Him His Kingdom and be visibly seen by all the Kingdoms of the earth to be the Judge of quick and dead the Prince of the Kings of the earth This is one of the Articles of our Creed and we would make use of the Scripture to confirm it there is a time coming and it is not far off when He shall set His Throne in the Clouds and all eyes shall see Him Think ye this true that there is a time coming when we that are here and all others shall see Christ in His Humane Nature and also much of His Godhead as He shall be pleased to let out and we capable of Think on it and let it not go with a word but consider how ye will meet Him and stand before Him and when ye meet with difficulties or creature-comforts that would turn you aside Remember on this day and where will they all be when ye shall be arrested to stand before Him Eccles. 11.9 Obs. 2. Christs coming to Judgement is a special part of His statelinesse and a main part of the Universalnesse of His Kingly Office as Mediator when He shall come and sit as Judge and give sentence on godly and wicked and send away the one and welcome the other This will be one of His stateliest dayes when He shall vindicate Himself from profane men and bear Himself out to His people in His exceeding Glory Believers believe there is such a Day and let it quiet your hearts in the mean time of all these confusions Obs. 3. Our Lord Jesus His coming to Judgement will be a doleful coming to the most part of the world they also who peirced Him and all kinreds of the earth shall wail because of Him they shall cry to the hills Fall on us and to the mountains cover us
that folks should spend it not as they like but for Him and about the duties of His service It is not the sanctifying of the Sabbath to spend an hour or two in publick and the rest of it in our own discourses pleasing and delightsome to our selves All dayes are Gods but He hath given you six and reserved the seventh to Himself Ye should be with Him in the spirit on the Lords day which is the main use of all that hath been said LECTURE V. Vers. 10. I was in the spirit on the Lords day and heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet 11. Saying I am Alpha and Omega the first and the last and what thou seest write in a book and send it unto the seven Churches which are in Asia unto Ephesus and unto Smyrna and unto Pergamos and unto Thyatira and unto Sardis and Philadelphia and unto Laodicea JOHN hath in the verses before and in the beginning of this put by the particular circumstances relating to this vision we shall say no more of them We come to the vision it self in the rest of the chapter with some circumstances making way to Iohn's writing of what he saw We comprehend under the vision not only what is objected to the eye or what Iohn saw but all that he sees or hears whereby some new thing is represented to Iohn or that which he had heard or seen before is again more clearly revealed and made known to him as it used to be in the extraordinary Prophets having Gods mind several wayes manifested to them This part of the vision hath three steps First What Iohn heard from the midst of vers 10. to vers 12. Secondly What he did vers 12. And Thirdly Followeth that which he saw to vers 17. The rest of the chapter from vers 17. hath some following effects and circumstances to clear the vision and Iohn's writing of it That which Iohn heard is three wayes described 1. In the nature of the voice which he heard 2. From the place where or the manner or way how he heard it the voice spake behind him 3. The particular matter that was spoken First The nature of the voice which he heard is set out with two words 1. It 's called a great voice 2. It was a voice as of a trumpet or like a trumpet 1. A great voice that is a mighty sound a voice that made a great noise as afterwards vers 15. His voice was as the sound of many waters like the tumbling down of a great river over a high fall or precipire 2. It was a voice as of a trumpet that is 1. Not a confused or inarticulate sound but a stately voice having a kind of majesty with it 2. Like a trumpet giving a certain and distinct sound And 3. Like a trumpet to stir up Iohn to attention to give him an alarm to set him on his watch and guard to observe what he saw and heard And it imports these four things which might be so many grounds of Doctrine 1. The majesty of the Person who was speaking to Iohn that Iohn may come to take Him up it is to shew that it was no common Person but our Lord Jesus Christ that is stately in His coming and this is the first thing that follis should have when they come to hear the Word they should be affected with the majesty of Him who speaketh and consider it 's His voice who stakes the heaven and the earth thâ—â— makes the bindes to calve c. Psal. 29. 2. It is to point out to Iohn the great distance between him and the Person that speaketh to Him and so to humble him and to affect him with a humbling and kindly sense of his own infirmity And these two go together to wit an impression of the statelinesse and majesty of God who speaks and an humble sense of infirmity in the creature See it in Abraham Gen. 18. 17. Behold now I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord Who am but dust and ashes and vers 25. Shall not the judge of all the earth do right And they are also joyned Eccles. 5.1 2. Keep thy foot when thou goest into the house of God God is in heaven and thou upon earth let thy Words be few 3. It is to put Iohn to an holy attention to hear and to be watchful in hearing what He was to say to him the trumpet soundeth that he may be the better taken heed to when He speaks And this is also a good property of hearers when as it is Acts 10.33 We can say with Cornelius We are all here present before God to hear Whatsoever things are commanded thee of God to be in a humble watchful posture having the heart laid open to whatsoever God will say hanging on Him as the phrase is Luke 19.48 4. The sound of the trumpet is not only to waken to attention but to put to action it gives not only a distinct sound for direction but it puts to doing to point at the nature of our Lords voice and how it ought to be heard It 's not enough to hear but there would be a suitablenesse to the voice heard according as the trumpet sounds distinctly Folks would hear suitably and welcome what is said and conform their practice thereto taking with convictions challenges directions to duties promises c. as the Word giveth them Therefore the Preaching of the Word is compared to the sounding of a trumpet Isa. 58. Lift up thy voice like a trumpet that is powerfully and distinctly and as it suppons some thing on the Ministers side that he would have his voice trumpet-like so it suppons some thing on the side of the hearers that they would conform their practice suitably to it as Souldiers prepare themselves at the sound of a trumpet 1 Corinth 14.8 The second circumstance is the place where or the manner how he heard the voice it spoke behind him it came not as before Iohn but as it were unawares surprising him behind him 1. The more to affect Iohn with the sound and to make him inquire in it for the more surprising a thing be it affects the more and wakens up the more desire to enquire in it 2. That our Lord may even try Iohn how he will carry himself in following the enquiry of the voice and so to put Iohn to pains to find it out Therefore Isa. 30.21 it is said Thou shall hear a voice behind thee partly to signifie that our backs are on God when he speak we are running away from him partly to stir us up to turn our face about as it were and to enquire after what is spoken Vers. 11. The third thing is the matter spoken and it contains two things 1. A description of the Speaker His Title and Name I am Alpha and Omega the first and the last the last two words are an exposition of the former two 2. The Commission Iohn gets and the direction given him 1.
a body bear out some resemblance and analogie of these qualifications that are in Him far beyond any thing that can be conceived The fourth property or qualification is his voice which is said to be as the sound of many waters It was said in the 10. vers to be a great voice like a trumpet here it is said to be like the sound of many waters both high and great heard afar off and very terrible and dreadfull By His voice in Scripture is understood mainly two things both which may well relate to this resemblance 1. His effectuall willing and commanding of things to be as it 's said He spoke and it was done He commanded and it stood fast Gen. 1. Let there be light and it was light for Christ as God hath not a voice properly but the voice being that by which a man signifies his command and will and being here attributed to Christ as God It is to point out His effectual willing and bringing that forth which He would have done and so points at the effectualnesse of Christs government There is nothing called for by Him but it cometh to passe nothing commanded but is done and that with a word 2. It 's taken for the manifestation of Gods terriblenesse and majesty Psal. 18.13 The Lord also thundred in the heavens and the highest gave His voice hailstones and coals of fire In which sense it is applied to the thunder because by it He manifests His power and shews Himself terrible Hence there is so much spoken of His voice Psal. 29.3 4 5 6 7 8 9. The voice of the Lord c. To shew not only the powerful effects of the voice of God in the thunder and the way it produceth its effects but the terriblenesse and majesty of God who hath such a voice that as it is Hag. 2.6 Can shake heaven and earth which is to point out His dreadfulnesse and terriblenesse against the enemies of His Church If He speaks the word they evanish one word of this King will make the stoutest Tyrants to quake as is clear from Scripture and the storie of former times A fifth qualification is vers 16. He had in his right hand seven stars The seven Stars are expounded in the last verse to be the Ministers of the Churches And the reasons of it we forbear till we come to that only here our Lord Jesus is said to have a right hand that is power and skill and activity in exercising His power for the right hand is the strongest hand and that by which men skilfully and dexterously go about the bringing to passe of that which they would be at He hath not power and fury but power and skill and with power and skill He manages all His matters Believers have not a handlesse Mediator to speak so He hath hands as well as feet But more of this in the third thing contained in this description Sixthly He is described further Out of his mouth went a two edged sword whereby is meaned the Word of God especially the Gospel His voice spoken of before is more generall relating to His universall power and soveraignty over all the World This relates more particularly to the written and Preached Word called The sword of the Spirit which is the word of God Eph. 6. and sharper then a two edged sword dividing betwixt the joynts and the marrow the soul and the spirit and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Heb. 4. The Word is compared to a sword and a two edged sword for these reasons 1. Because of the power of it it hath a discerning peircing penetrating power with it to come in on hearts and to discover the thoughts and intents of the heart when Christ blesseth it and maketh it strik at the roots of corruption it will humble the proudest heart and quicken the deadest spirit and pierce through the Soul and Conscience of the most obdured person as Act. 2. Peters Preaching did prick his hearers This is the saving and proper effect of the Word when it Anatomizes folks and layeth open their thoughts their security pride formality c. and strikes at the root of the body of death to kill it and be its death 2. Because of the effect it hath among carnall hearers and hypocrites in which respect we think it is especially looked on here as afterwards in the Epistle to Pergamos Chap. 2. vers 12.16 I will fight against them with the sword of my mouth This sword when rightly handled proves a torture to the wicked men in the world when it discovers their rottenesse so it 's said of the two faithfull Witnesses Revel 11.10 that they tormented them that dwelt on the earth the Word of God was so sharp in their mouths that it did hew Hos. 6.5 their minds and consciences and galled them at the heart so Act. 7. it is said Stephens hearers were cut in their heart and gnashed upon him with their teeth they could not abide the plainnesse and evidence of the Word accompanied with power 3. Because it hath a further cutting vertue to wicked men when it proves through Gods Justice plaguing to their hearts and minds and hath an instrumentall efficacy for their slaying when God draws out the sentence and gives the Word an edge and makes it cut and in His Justice to promove their destruction Isa. 11.4 With the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked 1 King 19.17 Him that escapeth the sword of Iehu shall Elisha slay and Hos. 6.5 I hewed them by my Prophets and slew them by the words of my mouth through Gods pronouncing of sharp threatnings and their corruption abusing the threatnings it becomes their death 2. This sword is said to proceed out of his mouth to point out where from the force efficacy and power of the Word cometh when it pierceth It 's not the Word as it is written or spoken by mens mouth but as it proceedeth out of Christs mouth which makes it profitable or convincing and it is this which makes sinners guilt so great and tormenteth hypocrites when He addeth weight with it to thwart their corruption and they repine against it The last qualification is His countenance was as the Sun shineth in his strength whereby is meaned the love that He sheweth to His People and the Glory and Majesty that is in Himself Psal. 4.6 Lord lift up the light of thy countenance upon us that is the manifestation of thy love And Psal. 80. the causing of His face to shine is severall times spoken of And this favour and stately Majesty in Christ is compared to the Sun shining not as in the morning nor at even nor under a cloud but in his strength 1. Because of the glorious majesty that is in it as Chap. 5.15 of the Song His countenance is as Lebanon excellent as the cedars there is an excellency and beauty in it that dazels and obscures all the excellency and beauty of the World even
false Prophets of Baal or of Antichrist be thought more fit to have place than the Lords faithfull servants This can be no good ground that doth reflect only upon these that are faithfull others being ready to apply themselves to the pleasing of men both in Word and Discipline 6. It would be considered what may move men of judgement and parts especially if they be conscientious to top with Magistrates It 's not like that self interests doth that seing flatterers that seek that most take the contrary way and come speed when as the most faithfull are often under a cloud Or is it like that the most zealous humble and tender should be most subject to miscarry And if there be ground to reprove or censure either by Word or Discipline is it not most profitable even though most displeasing that it be done 7. Consider who most readily fret at this Power it will be found they are such who from inclination to lousnesse or errour cannot abide any bands or from a principle of politick indifferency in the matters of Religion would mould all in a State-frame and such are imbittered at freedom in Preaching as well as Power in Governing or they are such as are led with a prejudice at the power of Ordinances which certainly men naturally are not free of and it would be adverted in this 8. Consider that this mistake of Church-mens Power doth often arise in such cases wherein they are serving Christ and men entertain it most in such times when their frame is least spirituall and sober as the observation thereof in experience will evidence What man at the approach of death hath been comforted in such an opposition or challenged for submission Although contempt thereof hath lien heavy on many and that to scare others from following their wayes All therefore of all ranks would be obtested to advert to this lest they be found even fighters against God especially at such times when this designe by some is driven least by putting to their hand to pull down this Authority they themselves perish in the fall thereof And what doth the advantage at most amount unto It is this there shall be greater freedom to sin and fewer means to reclaim from it or what censure shall be inflicted may be done in such a way as may stand with mens laughing at their sin without being affected in the conscience by any convincing mean Hath this ever profited any hitherto Or hath the right exercise of Discipline ever been prejudiciall to any And do not ordinarily Religion and Discipline flourish together And are not Congregations in best case where this Ordinance is most vigorous And do not the sad effects of the want of this in other places evidently demonstrate the necessity thereof People would consider these things especially these who are engaged singularly for the supporting of this Ordinance for a time of reckoning will come when this exercise of Discipline and submission thereto according to mens places and engagements will not be found so indifferent as now it is esteemed by many And disputes of this kind we suppose will not be admitted when the Lord will declare that he hath ratified in Heaven what according to His will hath been pronounced in this ordinance of Discipline upon earth which by Divines is well accounted to be the ratification and confirmation of the threatnings contained in His Word and added to make them the more weightie as the Sacraments are unto the promises of His Grace 2. Concerning a Ministers relation to a particular Congregation THis relation between the Angels and the Churches is mentioned in all these Epistles The Minister or Angel is called the Minister of such a Church peculiarly here the Church or Candlestick is called His I will remove thy Candlestick It will not therefore be impertinent to enquire a little concerning this mutual tye and relation in these three 1. In the general 2. In the grounds of this peculiar tye 3. In the nature of it particularly in these two 1. If a Minister as such be only a Minister to a particular Congregation in which he serves And 2. If that tye be such as upon no consideration it may be broken or loosed and he removed by transportation to some other charge We are the rather to take notice of this not only because it serves to clear the Text in hand but also because it supplieth somewhat yet defective in reference to a Ministers Call of which we have formerly spoken to wit what may be thought of a Call that is by transporting of a man that is already fixed in a particular Congregation or if a Minister settled in some particular charge may upon occasion act Ministerially in things peculiar to a Minister without the same For clearing of the first we would distinguish a threefold relation that a Minister of the Gospel stands into The first is a relation that is between Christ the Master and Lord and him as his Servant and Ambassador This is the first relation and fountain of all the rest in this respect they are the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the mysteries of God 1 Corinth 4.1 and Ambassadors for Christ 2 Corinth 5.20 c. because they have their Authority and Commission from Him and He peculiarly is their Master and owner In this respect also we may consider the Church and so she is Christs Church purchased with His own blood Acts 20.28 This is the principall relation by which both Angels and Churches are Christs as He is the Soveraign Master and owner of both And so neither are the Churches the Ministers nor the Ministers the Churches but both are Christs 2. There is a lesse principall relation which is delegatory and flows from the former He to whom both Ministers and Churches do belong thinking good to bestow Ministers as a Gift unto His Church in this respect Ministers relation is primarily unto the Catholick Church and so 1 Corinth 12.28 it is said God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secondarily Prophets thirdly Teachers c. And again Ephes. 4.11 12. He gave some Apostles some Pastors some Teachers for the edifying of the body of Christ. Here we may see that Ministers belong to the Church universall and have relation to it they being Ministers of that same Church that the Apostles were Apostles of and for that same end to wit the building of Christs body which takes in both Iew and Gentile as from that 1 Corinth 12. vers 13. c. doth appear In this respect the Ministers principall relation and charge is Christs Church universal and His body and they are given thereto to wit to the House of God which is the Church of the living God into the which they are to behave themselves as Stewards c. as Paul hath it 1 Timothie 3.15 3. We may consider this relation as more particular and lesse principal and as subservient to the former end and so Ministers are Ministers to particular
Therefore is justly called the only Potentate vers 15. all others being but slaves and worms in comparison with Him And that this bow is compared to an Emerald is to shew that it was a more glorious thing than that rainbow in the clouds which is visible to us This rainbow Chap. 10. vers 1. is said to be upon his head whereby it would seem that it is something which He doth as it were account His Crown and Diadem of Glory It is like that respect is here had to that Covenant which the Lord made with Noah that the waters should not overflow the earth whereof this rainbow was given as a signe and seal for the confirmation thereof Gen. 9.13 and the mentioning of it here and Chap. 10. is not to relate to that particular promise that the earth should not be drowned but is to relate unto the Covenant of Gods Grace through Christ Jesus with His true Church for when it is called a bow in sight like unto an Emerald it pointeth out an excellency beyond the ordinary rainbows and so may be thought to relate to a more excellent Covenant And indeed considering that this is an eminent piece of the Lords Glory and as it were a Crown we can apply it to no other thing In reference to the scope in these places it doth hold forth 1. That this glorious God who is the Creator of all is a God who hath condescended to Covenant with His People 2. It holdeth forth that this gracious condescending of His to enter in Covenant with them is a main part of His Glory and Majesty which He accounteth to be as a Crown unto Him 3. It holdeth forth that as the Lord doth not reveal His Glory to His People abstractly but in the way of His Covenant so His People cannot winn to the comfortable thoughts of the Majesty of God nor ought to look on His Glory but as under that relation 4. And more particularly it is added here to confirm Iohn in this that though the Church was to meet with many persecutions and trialls at first from heathens yet should she not be overwhelmed with the same more than the earth can be overwhelmed again with water and though after that Antichrist and enemies within should trouble her by Errours and Heresies yet should she also be keeped from being drowned by them and therefore when the Lord beginneth the consolatory part of the second principall prophesie and cometh to comfort Iohn against the trialls of Antichrist in the beginning of the 10. Chapter He doth there again appear with this bow upon His head to shew that He is no lesse mindfull of His Covenant with His People and of their preservation from being overwhelmed by enemies than He is of that promise which He made to Noah in the place formerly mentioned From the scope Observe 1. The great necessity and advantage that there is for all that would know God and the mind of God to be rightly instructed what God is It is the first lesson that all whether Ministers or others should learn to have right thoughts and impressions of the Majesty of God and a right conviction of that glory that is in Him 2. As this is requisite to the up-taking of Gods mind in any thing so it is particularly applicable to this Book There can be no up-taking of the mind of God in these Mysteries till we be rightly instructed what God is and have the impression of His Majesty on our hearts 1. Because it setteth out His absolutenesse and Government over His Church whether in the times of bloudy persecution or of prevailing errours in all these God sitteth on His Throne Governing 2. That the Faith of Gods People may be confirmed in expecting the performance of the promises to them and the execution of the Judgement here pronounced on their enemies notwithstanding of many interveening difficulties the â—ying of Gods absolutenesse and Dominion maketh for this 3. The looking on Gods absolutenesse is necessary at the entry to this part of this Book to stay our curiosity and the needlesse vain searching that curious spirits may decline to and so go a whoring from the scope and turn aside to vain jangling whereby they obscure rather than clear the meaning We close this wishing for this impression in our medling with any part of Gods Word and especially in medling with this prophesie Obser. 3. Where God is rightly seen He will be seen exceeding stately and Glorious O so wonderfull whom nothing can resemble whom no tongue can expresse nor eye behold nor heart conceive what were it to imagine thousands of mountains of the most precious stones imaginable and thousands of Suns shining in their brightnesse these are inconceiveably short of God and the Glory that is in Him what an excellent happinesse will that be to dwell with this God for ever to behold His face to see Him as He is and to be capacitate to speak so to know Him as we are known of Him Wonder and admire at Him who is glorious in Holinesse fearfull in Praises doing wonders terrible in Majesty and in all perfections past finding out To Him be praise for ever Amen LECTURE II. Vers. 4. And round about the throne were four and twenty seats and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting clothed in white raiment and they haâ— on their heads crowns of gold 5. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thundrings and voices and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne which are the seven Spirits of God 6. And before the throne there was a sea of glasse like unto crystal and in the midst of the throne and round about the throne were four beasts full of eyes before and behind 7. And the first beast was like a lion and the second beast like a calf and the third beast had a face as a man and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle 8. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him and they were full of eyes within THese Verses hold forth the second thing in the Chapter to wit the glorious attendants of this great God who sitteth upon His Throne as great Soveraign of heaven and earth Great Kings have their thrones and their cloaths of State the Lord is beyond them in both these they have also their inferiour Judges Nobles and Counsellers waiting on them as also others to execute their orders and decrees the Lord is brought in here as more eminently furnished with glorious attendants and instruments to execute His pleasure than any that ever was heard of Before we proceed one thing is needfull to be cleared to wit whether the scope of this vision be to represent the Glory of God as it is manifested to the Church Triumphant in Heaven and the Spirits of just men made perfect or whether it be intended to expresse the Glory of God as shining in His Ordinances in the Church Militant Answ. We conceive
neither of these is to be secluded but both may be well included for to consider God as manifested in His Glory in heaven agreeth well with the scope as aiming thereby to impresse the reverence and awe of the Majesty of God upon hearts yet we say that this is not only intended nor is the other to be excluded because 1. it also agreeth well with the scope which is to set forth events concerning the Militant Church and for that end to represent as it were a Theater and actors for bringing about these events whereof the Majesty of God is Supream Governour c. Now it conduceth more to the scope and cometh nearer what is intended to conceive this representation as holding forth Gods Glory and Way in His Militant Church 2. It is also usuall in this Book to expresse the Visible Church under the Title of Heaven and things done in it by similitudes of things set forth as acted in heaven as in the progresse we will see 3. This preparation being consolatory against the coming trials of the Church for which cause the Lord appeareth with His bow about His Throne it will agree best to that part of the scope to apply it to the Militant Church by which His glorious presence therein His nearnesse thereto His care and protection thereof c. will most manifestly and comfortably be set forth 4. There is a resemblance between the Lords glorious presence in His Church and that which is in heaven for He hath a glorious Throne of Grace in His Church as He hath one of Glory in heaven and what is more immediately manifested in Heaven doth someway shine by His Ordinances amongst His people 5. If we consider all the attendants mentioned in this and in the following Chapter particularly vers 10. we will find it necessary to understand this as respecting the Church Militant because some are spoken of who are redeemed and are to reigne upon the earth Whence we conceive it is not unsuitable to look upon this representation as expressing Gods glory in His Militant Church which is represented by Heaven and the practice of perfected Saints there to shew unto them while here a copy of their duty in praising and thanksgiving and in doing the will of God in earth as it is done in Heaven We come then to consider more particularly this description of the Lords excellent train and attendants First vers 4. there are round about the throne four and twenty seats and upon the seats I saw four and twenty Elders sitting and they had on their heads crowns of gold By Elders here we conceive are understood the true professors of the Militant Church in the dayes of the Gospel for in the Song Chap. 5. vers 9. and 10. we will find that they are such as are redeemed such as by that Redemption are made Kings and Priests as all Believers are Chap. 1. vers 6. and to reign upon earth which sheweth that they are Members in the Church Militant and they being followers of the four beasts and priviledged but with such priviledges as are common to all Saints it appeareth they are not Officers or Guides but private Professors They are called Elders for the dignity which they are advanced unto beyond others to be as it were Elders and Governours in Gods House in a spirituall sense in which respect they are called Kings and Priests Chap. 5. vers 10. or as the Word is usually taken in the New Testament they are accounted for speciall Ministers and Servants having a nearnesse to God and to share of His Glory which none else in the world had and thus the Lords People are called His Ancients or Elders Isa. 24. vers 23. They are said to be twenty four in number which we conceive to be a definite number for an indefinite it may be there is an allusion to the twenty four courses that David appointed for the service of the Tabernacle 1 Chron. 25 26 28 c. to shew that the ministration of the New Testament is no lesse Glorious Also seing the Church in old was reckoned by twelve Tribes who it is like had their twelve Princes as Elders and Governours answerable to that number so twenty four is mentioned here to shew that the Church in the dayes of the Gospel shall be extended to a double and greater number of Saints than was at this time but on these we shall not insist seing the general may be safely rested in Again they are said to be clothed in white raiment which sheweth that their innocency is their greatest glory or their most stately robe and the greatest badge of their dominion for white raiment signifieth either Christs imputed Righteousnesse or their begun Sanctification as we heard Chap. 3. vers 4. and is often elsewhere in this Prophesie The last thing spoken of these Elders is they have four and twenty seats or thrones upon which they sit and on their heads crowns of gold Both which are to shew 1. The settled and secure happinesse that these possesse beyond all others in the world 2. The spirituall Dominion that they have begun in them here over their lusts and spirituall enemies in which respect they reign even on the earth Chap. 5.10 And 3. it is to give a type of the glorious Dominion that is laid up for them in Heaven when they having been Assessors at the judging of the world shall be set down upon one Throne with Jesus Christ as was promised Chap. 3. vers 21. In vers 5. We have the second thing whereby this statelinesse is expressed and out of the throne proceeded thunderings and lightenings and voices It is like there is an allusion to Gods manner of giving the Law Exod. 19. whereby He appeared so terrible that even Moses did exceedingly fear and quake And Deut. 33.2 it is said that from His right hand went a fiery Law the scope is to shew that though God appear without great outward splendor and terrour in His Ordinances in the dayes of the Gospel yet is there in His Church Power and Glory whereby the mightiest may be terrified and confounded in which respect the Church is terrible as an Army with Banners Song 6.4 and 10. and the witnesses Chap. 11. vers 3. and 5. though prophecying in sackcloath are said to have fire proceeding out of their mouths and to bring on many other dreadfull plagues By this He would teach men to approach to Him with fear for He is a great God and to be bad in reverence of all that are about him Psal. 89.7 There is also a third thing observed in that fifth vers And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the thronâ— which are the seven spirits of God by these we understand the holy Ghost in His manifold and various operations as we heard Chap. 1. vers 4. and by comparing Chap. 5. vers 6. it is clear for these seven Spirits are the hornes and eyes of the Lamb that sheweth both the
great vessell made for use and ornament and accordingly made use of in the houses of great men and was particularly mentioned among the ornaments of the Temple and Ceremoniall worship as was formerly marked and is especially for washing or bathing thereinto Now these considerations will by no means suffer it to be applyed to the world as expressing the vanity and worthlesnesse thereof neither will there be any just analogie found betwixt the two whereby the one may be found to resemble or to be resembled by the other The last thing mentioned here for the commendation of this glorious Train is four beasts which are largely insisted on vers 6 7 and 8. That these beasts are mentioned immediately after the sea of glasse it sheweth that by the sea of glasse must be understood something that tendeth to the commendation of Gods presence in His Church seing it is placed in the midst of the other commendations for that these beasts are mentioned to set forth His Glory cannot be questioned The word rendered beasts is in the Originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and might be well translated living creatures as it is Ezek. 1. or living wights By these are not understood Angels as in Ezek. 1. and 10. because Chap. 5.10 c. they are among the Redeemed and vers 11. are expresly distinguished from the Angels who are said to be round about them and indeed their following description being compared with that of these living wights or Cherubims Ezek. 1. there will be found a great difference Nor Secondly by them can be understood any of the glorified Triumphant Church because of the reasons that were given when we spoke of the Elders for they also reign upon the earth Chap. 5.10 and the scope is by them to expresse something of the Church Militant We conceive therefore by these beasts so described are understood the Ministers of the Church in the dayes of the Gospel as being distinguished from professors who are called Elders and as being described like Angels to shew their eminency in some respect beyond the other For 1. These beasts or living creatures for some of them are like to men do ever go before the Elders in the worship of God as guides to them therein 2. Because they do invite excite and inform others to and in their duties as they say come and see Chap. 6. vers 3.5.7 3. They are described as these Cherubims or Angels are Ezek. 1. and yet being such Angels as are Members of the Militant Church they must be understood of the Ministers of the Gospel seing these are ordinarily designed by the title Angel in this Prophesie it is therefore the more likely that they are described after the manner of Angels even as they get their name 4. We will find all the particulars of the description to be pertinently applicable to them As 1. They are said to be beasts or living creatures to shew a speciall activity and fitnesse that is communicated to them even beyond others 2. Their number is four which is lesse than the number of the Elders or Professors was yet sufficient to carry the Lords message to all the four corners of the earth and as it were to be upon all sides of the Lords Throne for the edification and oversight of His People as the Tribes of Israel marched with four standards on all the quarters of the Ark. 3. They are said to be full of eyes before and behind they have not one eye but many eyes because they have many to watch over and many snares to give them warning of They have eyes before that is to shew their dependence on God who being the great Leader and Captain that goeth before His People these that are under-guides have their eye on Him for direction in the way that they ought to lead their people in and thus their eyes before are mentioned before their eyes behind to shew that ere they give any direction to the Flock that follow them they will look to the Master for His orders and so have their eye upon Him as the eyes of Servants look unto the hands of their Masters for observing of their directions Psal. 123. 2. They are also full of eyes behind to shew that they are watchfull over these committed to them by pointing out that way to them which they had discovered from God and by watchful observing how they follow the same as the word is Psal. 32. vers 8. I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go I will guide thee with mine eye which is to expresse the most tender way of direction and instruction Also these expressions serve well to shew their particular watchfulnesse over themselves who have eyes before them that importeth tendernesse in the undertaking of any thing and eyes behind which respecteth their tender observation of their by-past failings 4. These beasts are placed in the midst of the throne and round about the same it may seem strange-like to say they are both in the midst of the Throne and about the same yet in the Scripture-language to be in the midst of a thing is to be neer it or to be fully upon it and this part of the description sheweth their nearnesse to God and their dignity beyond others for the Elders had Thrones and Crownes but these beasts and Ministers have the same Throne with the Lord as being neerer to Him in respect of their service and as being of more eminent dignity because they are Ambassadours for Him and act in His stead and in His Name and by vertue of the same Authority 2 Cor. 5.20 They are round about the throne also which is not to be understood as if they were to speak so without the circle of the Throne but it is to shew the Lords wise way of disposing His Ministers unto all quarters for His Churches edification so that all of them are not together or upon any one side of the Throne but they are disposed by Him upon all quarters thereof for edifying of the Elders or His People set out by them which are round about the Throne as we formerly heard In the seventh Verse we have a more particular description of the several shapes of these beasts which is the fifth thing by which they are described the first beast is like a Lion the second beast like a Calf the third beast had a face as a Man the fourth beast is like a flying Eagle By this diversity of forms or shapes is set forth the diversity of gifts and furnitour which the one holy Spirit useth to dispense unto the Ministers of the Church as 1 Corinth 12.4 5. c. and hereby the Lord sheweth that as private Christians may be more eminent in some Graces than others so Ministers are some of them eminent in one gift some of them in another as the Lord mindeth to make use of them as we may see by comparing Barsabas the son of consolation with Bâ—â—nerges the sons
of all Nations Kindreds and Tongues and we who are not of the stock of Abraham but are of strange Nations have reason to praise for this Gospel and to blesse the Mediator who hath purchased it unto us Again although this object in some respect hath been extended to all Nations Kindreds c. without distinction or discrimination Yet somewhat is added to qualifie and restrict the same that it may not be understood collectively of all of every Nation Language c. but distributively of some of these Nations Kindreds and Tongues for the redeemed their Song is expressed in these terms Thou hast redeemed us out of every tongue and kindred and people and nation And certainly there is a palpable difference between these two to wit to say Thou hast redeemed all Kindreds Tongues and Nations and to say Thou hast redeemed us out of every Tongue Kindred and Nation whereby the redeemed are contradistinguished from the rest of the Kindred Tongue and Nation out of which they are redeemed and yet it cannot be thought but that all who are redeemed do concur in this Song therefore the other contradistinguished from them cannot be said to be redeemed Beside this peculiarnesse of Redemption is a speciall ground of the redeemeds praise to wit when they were lying under the curse with others Christ hath redeemed them from among them Further all this Song doth agree to any person that hath been redeemed by Christs bloud They that are redeemed are also made Kings and Priests And seing all cannot praise for this mercy as experience sheweth therefore can it not be said that they are comprehended under the former And if we will remember what was just now said to wit that Redemption doth import a peculiar right to these that are redeemed beside others to wit a right by Election Then it will follow that no other can be said to be redeemed but the Elect that were given to Christ and seing all men are not Gods by this peculiar right for to be Gods in this respect and to be given to Christ and so to be actually redeemed are of equal extent Therefore can it not be said that all are redeemed The third reason or ground of their praise which is also the effect of the former will confirm this and it is contained vers 10. And hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall reign upon earth So that if it be asked what are the advantages which they reap by Christs Redemption which make them thus to praise They answer they are very great for not only are they freed from the former bondage they were under and set at liberty as in the former verse But they are honoured and blessed with many excellent priviledges exceedingly commended in four words 1. Thou hast made us Kings this respecteth that spiritual freedom that the Believers have from their former enemies and that spirituall dominion which they have over them and that eternall glory whereof they shall be partakers when they shall sit upon one Throne with the Lord Christ. This is a great priviledge that all the redeemed who were formerly slaves shall be made Kings 2. They are made Priests this was also a title and office of great dignity under the Law and by it is signified that by Christ Jesus all the redeemed are honoured to have accesse unto God with boldnesse and to offer up their own prayers and praises unto God by Him with hope of being accepted which priviledge is founded upon Christs Redemption and without this there had been accesse to no sinner to pray or praise acceptably and with any comfort before God But now say they we are Priests and may offer our own sacrifices yea now under the Gospel we are not tied to any typicall service nor to one place or Temple nor to seek a Priest to offer our sacrifices unto God for us But we our selves may approach therewith unto Him 3. It commendeth and sweeteneth this priviledge that they are made Priests to our God which implyeth that now by Christs purchaâ—e they may worship and serve God as in Covenant with them and as their own God which doth make all the services they can be put to very light and easie and strengthens them against all the difficulties they may meet with therein seing it is no idol nor strange God whom they worship but their own God who will pity them in their service as a Father pitieth his Son Lastly They say and we shall reign upon earth which is set down not only to shew the spiritualnesse of this Kingdom which being on earth and common to all the redeemed many of whom have a poor being here can be no other wayes understood than of His spirituall Dominion but mainly we conceive it is mentioned here as the ground of their Song that not only have they a hope of reigning and being freed from sin in Heaven but that in some measure they are made partakers of the vertue of Christs purchase in the subduing of their sin and the mortifying of their lusts whereby they are keeped from the dominion of sin because they are not now under the Law but under Grace according to the promise Rom. 6.14 And this is a kindly evidence of a redeemed person and a convincing ground of praise to a truly gracious soul to wit to have Sanctification thriving the body of death born down and even before they come to Heaven to be looking Heaven-like and to be brought someway to triumph over their spirituall enemies than which as there is nothing that will be more desired by them so there will be nothing more acceptable to them even thus to be priviledged and dignified to reign spiritually on the earth And we may see that as this is a great mercy to be Sanctified So it is a fruit of Christs death and floweth from His purchase even as Justification doth in which respect He is our Sanctification as well as our Righteousnesse 1 Cor. 1.31 The second company who joyn in this Song is the Angels who are described vers 11. and then their Song is expressed vers 12. They are described First by their title and number they are Angels that is glorious ministring spirits Heb. 1.14 called sometimes in Scripture the host of heaven and because of their excellency the Sons of God Iob 38.7 And they are many Angels The number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands this is a great number it seemeth to be taken out of Dan. 7.10 where thousand thousands are said to Minister unto Him and ten thousand times ten thousands to stand before Him yet the expression is but put for an indefinite to shew the innumerable company of glorious and mighty Angels which the Lord hath waiting on Him as servants and ministers to do His pleasure in any part of the world as it is Psal. 103.21 The scope is to shew how glorious He must be who is thus waited upon Secondly The
the vials contain matter of one kind as is already cleared Therefore there is no reason to divide them as if one part of them to wit the first six did belong to one wo to wit the second wo or sixth trumpet and others of them to another wo to wit the seventh trumpet there is no reason for this division especially considering that the last wo is of the same nature as the seven vials are but the second wo to wit the sixth trumpet is not of the same nature with the last as the exposition thereof will clear for which cause they are divided in distinct woes The vials therefore being of one nature cannot agree to woes that are so different in all the former respects Secondly That there is some observable march and bound betwixt the second and third wo cannot be denied for it is especially marked in all the three last woes one wo is past and another cometh c. and the exposition will make it out But if we will apply some vials to the second wo and others to the third there will be no such remarkable change to fix the difference betwixt these two woes because all the vials are but steps and degrees of plagues of the same kind or rather of one plague and that on the same object to wit Antichrist c. But these three woes do expresse judgements of different kinds and upon different objects And it is observeable that that Learned Author otherwise most acute in every thing yet here is at some stand whether to take in the first five or the first six vials within the sixth trumpet And considering that the seven vials are put together in one form by the holy Ghost even as the seals and trumpets were What reason can there be given why they should be divided and the last only made to contemporate with the seventh trumpet and others with the preceding trumpets as if it were not one principal prophesie as the rest are more than to divide the trumpets and to make the last only to contemporate with the seventh seal and the rest with the other preceding seals seing the Spirit keepeth the same form in both Further we argue thus if the seventh vial and the seventh trumpet only contemporate together Then the first six vials must contemporate with the preceding trumpet to wit the sixth But that cannot be said because first the vials carry judgements on the same object with the seventh trumpet to wit on the beast but the sixth trumpet doth contain a judgement of another nature and on another object as is said Therefore the vials cannot belong to it Secondly The series and strain of the vials sheweth that they together do contain one whole period of the state of the Militant Church to wit Antichrists declining and decaying estate even as the seals and trumpets did contain two former periods to wit the Churches sufferings under Heathenish Persecutions and Antichrist his rise and height The sixth trumpet therefore being a step or degree of a former period cannot be contemporary with any of the vials which are steps of a subsequent period for two periods neither in whole nor in part can be contemporary one with another More particularly their rise must be at one and the same time for the seventh trumpet cometh immediatly on the back of the killing of the witnesses and contemporateth with the whole course of their liberty as appeareth by this that then and not untill then the Kingdoms of the earth becometh the Lords Then he taketh to him his great power and reigneth Then he rewardeth his servants the Prophets and destroyeth them that destroyed the earth Then the temple is opened in heaven and the ark of his testament is seen c. as it is chap. 11. All which do suppone that it was other wayes in all these respects before the seventh trumpet did sound seing these are marked to be effects of the sounding of it which demonstrateth that the sounding thereof must be immediatly upon the back of Antichrists height and killing of the witnesses and so must carry on his ruine long before his destruction which cometh by the sixth vial It must therefore blow long before the seventh vial yea it must contemporate with the first because they to wit all the vials carry on Antichrist's ruine from that same term as is granted and will appear from chap. 15. where the Angels with the vials even the first of them came out of the Temple thus opened by the seventh trumpet upon the instant of the earthquake and shaking of Antichrists Kingdom at the expiring of the sixth trumpet which is the very march thereof for which see chap. 11. Lect. â— Therefore none of these vials can preceed the seventh trumpet seing before it the Temple is supposed to be shut Secondly This last wo doth immediatly succeed the second wo and therefore must have its beginning with the first vial because if six vials did preceed the blowing of the seventh trumpet Then would a distinct wo interveen between these two to wit Antichrists ruine which is carried on by the first six vials which were absurd for the sixth trumpet is not called a wo as bringing any judgement on Antichrist as the exposition will clear and is granted by him Thirdly If it were so that the first six vials did belong to the sixth trumpet Then would it to wit the sixth trumpet contain two woes to wit the plague of Mahomet and the ruine of Antichrist for both these give a denomination to severall woes But the former is absurd Fourthly If the seventh trumpet doth comprehend Antichrists ruine and the carrying on thereof to his destruction Then must it contain the first six vials because by these he is ruined and brought to nought and his judgement is begun immediatly on the back of his height and fall and perfected by them Therefore must it here belong to the seventh trumpet or the seventh trumpet doth no way belong to the ruine of Antichrist but it doth belong to his ruine as was formerly hinted in the object thereof and afterward will be clear Ergo c. Fifthly If the sixth trumpet doth contain Antichrists height and the Churches lowest sufferings Then can it not comprehend the first six vials because by them Antichrist is ruined and brought to nought and it is absurd to place Antichrist his height and totall fall under the same trumpet or wo seing they do not fall under one period Neither will it consist with the nature of this prophesie that one trumpet which containeth but a part of one period should contain effects of so contrary and opposite natures as Antichrists greatest height and his totall and full ruine But the former is true the sixth trumpet containeth his height and triumph Ergo c. Sixthly The sixth trumpet doth leave the beast still in some being while the seventh come as the same Author granteth Synchronism 1. of this second part But the sixth vial doth wholly
overturn Antichrist and casteth him in the lake as will appear from Chapters 16 and 19. and is often inculcated by this Author Therefore the sixth trumpet and the first six vials can no way be contemporary Seventhly This seventh trumpet doth contemporate with the palm-bearing company chap. 7. which palm-bearing company doth immediatly succeed to the sealed company preceeding so that where the sealed company closeth there they begin and the vials doth the same For chap. 15. immediatly upon the hundred fourty four thousand their being compleat and getting the victory over Antichrists name which is all one with having palms in their hands then immediatly came the Angels forth with the vials and not till then Therefore it will follow that the vials must in whole contemporate with the seventh trumpet the contemporary of that palm-bearing company according to the common rule quae conveniunt uni tertio conveniunt inter se But the first is true as from the former grounds is clear Ergo c. Lastly If we suppose 1260. dayes to signifie so many years as he doth and again if we suppose that just so many years must interveen between the breaking of that Heathenish persecution and the blowing of the seventh trumpet and also of the pouring out of the first vial Then must the seventh trumpet and the beginning of the vials be contemporary this cannot but hold But both the former are true And are to be supposed the first from his grounds chap. 11. The second will appear thus that so many years de facto or in experience have interveened from the Churches delivery from Heathenish persecution and her begun delivery from Antichrist before which no vial can be said to be poured forth the other part to wit the blowing of the seventh trumpet upon the expiring of these 1260. dayes from that date is to be made out chap. 11. Lect. 4. In sum if it can be made out that the sixth trumpet is past and the seventh already hath sounded de facto Then the debate of contemporating the seventh trumpet with the last vial only will evanish because that is the thing driven at that the seventh trumpet may hold forth an estate of absolute freedom to the Church after Antichrist his full ruine But we suppose that the former is made out chap. 11. Lect. 4. The grounds therefore that are laid to hold up this Synchronism must also fail If it be said that the seventh trumpet doth suppone an absolute freedom from Antichrist because in it the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth the Kingdoms of the earth are become His c. which cannot be verified during the first six vials while in part Antichrist reigneth Therefore it must succeed them Answer first This is a mistake of the place which is not to shew what case the Church shall be in at the sounding of the seventh trumpet but by way of anticipation to shew the effects following thereupon before they come and serveth to explicate the expected events thereof and make it observable because of such a wonderfull change to wit that Kingdoms and Nations even now Antichrist are by its sounding to become the Lords which doth suppone Antichrist to be strong having many Kingdoms and Nations and the Church to be few and low when it doth sound Secondly Although it expresse the events in their heighest degree yet it will not follow that it was at its height instantly at the blowing thereof but only this that it was to be so ere it expired Because it is usuall in this prophesie to expresse the state of the Church during one period by the most eminent step thereof as we will find chap. 11 and 12. where the Church is said to be in the wildernesse during a whole period because that decay came to a height during that time although it was not at the first instant so low Particularly the whole state of the Church after Heathenish persecution is set forth chap. 7. in two periods the one to wit that of the sealed number is set forth at its lowest the other at its heighest victory yet no question ere that palm-bearing company came to a height after the sealing time there was a fight and wrestling against Antichrist for his weakening Hence we may reason either the vials which bring down Antichrist must belong to the sealed or to the palm-bearing company for there is no mids But they cannot belong to the first because in all periods the last step is the heighest step as the last persecuting seal is the sorest The last trumpet of Antichrist his reign hath him highest and the last vial hath his Kingdom lowest the vials therefore which suppone Antichrists height to be past and the Churches flourishing condition to be begun can in respect of none of them contemporate with the sealed number but with the palm-bearing company and so all of them must contemporate with the seventh trumpet which was the thing to be demonstrated His fourth Synchronism is of the Serpent and Dragon his binding chap. 20 with the seventh trumpet This being well understood according to our former grounds whereby the seventh trumpet and all the vials are made contemporary is to be fixed as a truth but being understood as he doth understand it by contemporating the seventh trumpet with the seventh vial only and that intervall which followeth the destruction of the beast by the sixth vial is not to be admitted And supposing that that binding of Satan during these thousand years chap. 20. doth contemporate fully with the seventh trumpet chap. 11. which is indeed a truth and supposing that the seventh trumpet doth begin with the seven vials immediatly on the fall of Antichrist his declining Kingdom which we have formerly made out It will necessarily follow that the thousand years are to begin with the vials where the sixth trumpet closet Antichrist his height and as the seventh trumpet doth not presuppose Antichrists full but his begun ruine as hath been shewn So it must be said of that thousand years binding of Satan which is called the time of his binding because during that period he cometh to be bound although at the entry thereof his restraint be not at its height concerning which more is to be seen chap. 20. Lecture 4. His fifth Synchronism is of the thousand years of Christs reign with the seventh trumpet or intervall following the beasts destruction This reign of Christs being the same with Satans restraint what judgement we have given of the former Synchronism is also to be applied here The sixth Synchronism is of the new Ierusalem and the Lambs wife with the seventh trumpet and intervall foresaid This we cannot admit because we conceive that new Ierusalem is to set forth the glorified estate of the Church-triumphant and so falleth not in under the seventh trumpet safe as that trumpet doth put an end to time and enter the Church then made ready as a Bride for the Bridegroom within the palace of the King and there to
the first beasts inviting to come and see This is common to the first four seals though in some things there be difference There are three parts in the preparation for this seal the first is common a voice saying come and see which is not only for Iohns upstirring and warrand to behold that type but also for all Readers and Hearers to put them to observe it implying that there is some mystery in the thing yet desirable in it self to be known and to be desired by Gods People The second is That it is the first beast that uttereth this voice Chap. 4. he is like a Lion importing the valiant courage and boldnesse that faithfull Ministers had in the Primitive times when Christ first sent forth the Gospel and it suiteth well with the type following the beasts being so marshalled as they hold forth the qualifications that should be and are requisite to be in faithfull Ministers in the execution of the things prophesied of in these types The third is that it is said to be like the noise or voice of thunder because of the power and force of that word exhorting all to the beholding and welcoming of Christ in the Gospel as was in the first founding of the Christian Church and spreading of the Gospel and the flourishing state thereof when He furnished His Apostles and Ministers with such liberty and boldnesse From all which these two speciall Doctrines arise 1. That the best of men need up-stirring for receiving the things of God and considering His dispensations were it Iohn himself he hath need of upstirring and consequently all Gods People have need of up-stirring on this side of time else things may escape us and not be observed means are not uselesse a Ministery is needfull and usefull as long as there is a corrupt member in a Church or corruption in any member 2. That our Lord Jesus in dispensing gifts to His Church and People here hath suited and accommodated the qualifications of His Ministers wisely to that which they have to do Therefore He having the Gospel to spread He fitteth men like Lions as thâ—ough the Acts of the Apostles is clear and when He calleth men to suffer He fitteth them like a Calf as the second beast is set out with patience to endure persecution Or tâ—ke the Doctrine thus That the thriving of the Gospel is accompanied with bold and valiant Preachers Or boldnesse and liberty in Preaching is a good sign that God mindeth the thriving of the Gospel Verse 2. We come now more near to the types The first thing seen is a white horse Where consider 1. The type that is a horse and a rider 2. How he is described and set out in severall circumstances as First from his colour he is white Secondly in his rider and his armour he that sat on him had a bow Thirdly in his dignity a crown was given unto him Fourthly his employment which is expressed in the word added for explication he went forth conquering and to conquer 1. By a horse and a rider is understood in Scripture amongst the Prophets some dispensation of the Lord to His Church brought about mediately by the Ministery of Angels or men or immediately by God Himself as is clear by comparing Zochar 1. vers 8. with vers 10. Vers. 8. the Prophet seeth a man riding c. and behind him were red horses speckled and white Verse 10. Again expoundeth this to be these whom the Lord had sent to walk to and fro through the earth That is His dispensations of severall kinds by what ever mean He pleaseth to bring them about and they are either good and prosperous or adverse and afflicting dispensations as the colours and other circumstances difference them as in the forecited place His dispensations are compared to horses and riders on them for these reasons 1. To let us see His Soveraignity that hath all these at His command to send for good and ill as great Kings have their Messengers for executing their will 2. To shew the speedinesse swiftnesse and irresistiblnesse of whatsoever dispensation He sendeth as the horse is speedy and valiant 3. To shew the dependence of all events on His dominion and His immediate ordering and guiding of them as a rider doth an horse and he letteth them not run at randome or by guesse as a horse without a rider or bridle but hath them all well ordered whether good or bad 2. A white horse signifieth comfort gladnesse victory triumph and antiquity both as Scripture and profane Authors clear it See chap. 19.11 where Christ in His triumph upon a white horse 3. The riders armour and dignity a bow and a crown which signifieth the same thing The bow shooteth far and peirceth deeply as is said Psal. 45. Thy arrows are sharp in the hearts of the Kings enemies A crown again setteth our statelinesse and victory especially while it is said a crown was given him which supposeth growing successe 4. This is cleared by the word added for explication He went out conquering that is carrying all before him and to conquer that is continuing and going on to do so victoriously In the application of this and of the following types we shall look 1. to them as Propheticall relating to particular events and times 2. As holding forth some Doctrines in generall usefull for all times By this type is understood the flourishing estate of the Gospel and the spreading estate of the Church by it after our Lords Ascension as it were Christ in the Ministery of His Word going out to conquer souls and prevailing First This exposition agreeth well with the type being compared with Psal. 45.3 4 5. and Revel 19.11 c. In which places Christ is represented 1. as riding on horse-back and that upon a white horse 2. as armed with arrows and the two edged sword which is His Word 3. As Crowned 4. As having the same design of riding prosperously c. for the subduing of the people under Him by His sharp arrows in their hearts which is the very same thing agreeing with this type Secondly It agreeth well with the event If we consider the first estate of the Church immediatly after Christs Ascension the describing whereof is the scope of this first type we will find it in the Apostles dayes to have exceedingly spread the Gospel then and a little thereafter triumphing and conquering almost over the whole world Paul preached from Ierusalem to Illyricum Rom. 15.19 then among the Iews the Word encreased mightily Act. 6.7 to Damascus Act. 8. in Arabia Gal. 1. Pontus Asia Cappadocia Babel Bithynia 1 Pet. 1.1 and Chap. 5.13 to Parthia Media Mesopotamia c. Act. 2.9 to Corinth Athens Macedonia Galatia Rome Antioch c. as appeareth by the History of the Acts and the Epistles written to these Churches which being looked upon in it self to be carried on so suddenly by such weak means and despicable instruments as the preaching and Preachers of the Gospel
connexion may be called occasionall that is when the light of the Gospel with power cometh into the world where sin hath had the dominion and by it mens corruptions begin to be restrained and their liberty in sinning marred corruption and malice in men take occasion thereby to rage as being the more provoked and therefore leaveth no mean unessayed to have that Gospel out of the world which disturbeth their sinfull peace This doth not properly flow from the Gospel but from the devils malice and mens corruptions which are imbittered thereby and now rageth to be disturbed in that dominion and possession which for a long time he hath possessed like a strong man keeping all in peace within his bounds till this stronger come to cast him out This maketh many who lived quietly before light came amongst them to appear quite another thing More particularly we will find these Primitive persecutions to have been raised upon these occasions which went along with the Gospel 1. The Gospel drew men from the old Heathenish way of serving Idols and by force of reason did evidence the nothingnesse of Idolatry and vanity of that worship which was used by these Emperours and almost all the world Upon this Satan took occasion to charge Christians with singularity in taking up a Religion of their own and with pride in counting themselves wiser then their Predecessors and to be insufferable as untractable men who would not follow the rest of the world nay not their own Emperors nor Predecessors in the matter of their Religion but took them to a new way of their own all which was exceedingly heightened by the devil to make Christians and Christianity odious This pretext is frequent 2. A second was The devil striving to make Christianity suspected unto the great men of the world as inconsistent with civil Authority and tending to the ecclipsing and diminishing of temporall greatnesse dominion and power of Kings which was confirmed by these things 1. Ministers freedom in reproving the faults of all and their not sparing nor flattering of any often occasioned the enimity of great men who thought that derogatory to their honour and unbecoming inferiours Therefore to suppresse that often the most faithfull men were persecuted as we see in that instance of Herod in Iohn the Baptist Matth. 14. 2. This suspicion was confirmed by the multiplying of Christians and the mistake of the nature of Christs Kingdom as if His Kingdom had been inconsistent with theirs therefore fearing lest the multiplying of Christians should have tended to the setting up of Christs power and the overturning of theirs they endeavoured to bear them down This made Domitian in a speciall manner to search for and put to death all the naturall kindred of our Lord Jesus lest any of them in the abounding of Christians should have pleaded title to his Kingdom 3. The many slanders that were vented against Christians especially by Magicians Idolatrous Priests Iews Apostate Christians and such like who crying out on them as enemies to mankind and guilty of the vilest sins as of Adultery Incest Drunkeness c. at their meetings and so to be the causes of all the plagues that came upon the world which calumnies are fully refuted by Iustin Martyr Tertullian and Cyprian in their Apologies Wherein these two things are asserted 1. That Christians were innocent of these scandals 2. That it was not the Gospel but the worlds rejecting of the Gospel that brought these judgements on 4. This occasion rose from Christians strictnesse who would not flatter their Emperours by worshipping of them and calling them gods as others did 5. Nothing more was mistaken than Church-men in their exercising of Discipline and censuring of others without dependence on civil Power especially when they exceeded in any particular as that law of Euaristus ordaining that no accusation of a Layâ—man or laick against a Pastor should be admitted This is recorded to have provoked Trajan to persecute all the Christians 3. The failings and practices of some Christians and their unwarrantable carriage made Christians odious in the world especially these 1. The many differences and divisions that were amongst themselves and the many sects contrary to truth and one to another that sprung up with the Gospel and the great bitternesse wherewith these differences were followed 2. Outbreakings of Professors in any grosse sin made all others to be so accounted yea practices of the Saturnians Nicolaitans and other grosse Hereticks though disclaimed by true Christians yet were imputed to them 3. Unfaithfulnesse in some few of them in reference to their trust provoked persecution against all It is particularly recorded that Philip who was the first Christian Emperour his killing of the Emperour Gordianus by which deed he came to the Empire did not only stir up Decius afterward to kill him but also to raise a most hard persecution against all Christians as become odious by that fact Obs. 6. The persecutions of the Church of God are particularly ordered as well as the preaching of the Gospel and the thriving and flourishing of the Church This horse hath a rider that hath his armour and a sword given to him and it is told what he shall do he shall take peace from the earth go so far and no further yea there is a more particular commissionating of this nor the former to point out that there is a particular hand guiding the sufferings of the Church and People of God See it in Ioh how in all the commissions Satan getteth he is straitly bounded and limited If the world rage at Christ and His followers and persecute yet that horse is not without a rider and a bridle and the sword he carrieth is limited it cannot hurt a hair of the head of any but as it is commissionated Mat. 10. The hairs of your head are all numbred Persecution cometh not without a particular Commission more than one is converted without the influence of His Spirit He that guideth the one guideth the other and our Lord Jesus reigneth now as before 7. The restraint mentioned here to take peace from the Earth sheweth that no persecution can marre spiritual and eternall peace they reach but the outward condition as to hurt the name to plunder the goods and to kill the body but can reach no further Ioh. 14.27 Christs peace is given not as the world giveth it uncertainly but surely which should make us esteem the more of it 8. An earthly condition or peace is never settled any trouble may quickly disturbe that 9. The world is much in Gods reverence for their outward peace at one word He can take peace from the earth and turn order into confusion and imbitter the spirits of most familiar friends and near relations one against another Did not He prevent it our life would be soon miserable It is He that we should depend on and acknowledge even in outward things for when He giveth quietnesse who then can make trouble and when He
but they refused to accept deliverance upon these terms yea when the Souldiers partly wearying to be so bloudy partly desirous of seeming victory over Christians did professe themselves content to take any old paper or clout in place of the Bible or poors Coats they refused to give any ecvola as it was called from the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or cast-away clout yea when Souldiers would violently pluck such things from them against their wills they would follow them professing their adherance unto the truth and that they had not any way willingly delivered these things as is to be seen in Baronius An. 303. pag. 748. It is reported of one Marcus Aretbusius who was put to torment under Iulian because he would not build the Idol Temple which he had formerly demolished when they were content to accept some part of the expenses from him and to spare his life he refused to give obolum or one peny Sozom. lib. 5.9 Cent. Magd. Cent. 4. pag. 797 and 833. Tertullian also de Corona militis maketh mention of a Christian Souldier who when others after their victory carried their Crowns upon their heads for honour of their Idols he notwithstanding of all hazard carried his in his hand professing himself to be a Christian. By which and many other instances we may see how resolutely they held fast their testimonie from which especially they were called Martyres or Witnesses and by which often not only many weak ones were strengthened but also many persecuters convinced and made to cry out certainly great is the God of the Christians while as they saw that no allurements on the one side nor terrors on the other could make them loose their grips but still Truth and Christ were born witnesse unto and well spoken of by them That is a good word which Polycary had to the Proconsul who took much pains to draw him to pity himself and to deny Christ by his swearing by the life or good fortune of the Emperour he refused saying These fourscore and six years have I served him and he hath never once done me wrong How then can I deny him LECTURE VII Vers. 10. And they cried with a loud voice saying How long O Lord holy and true dost thou not judge and avenge our bloud on them that dwell on the earth 11. And white robes were given unto every one of them and it was said unto them that they should rest yet for a little season untill their fellow-servants also and their brethren that should be killed as they were should be fulfilled WE come now to the second thing in this seal that is what Iohn heard in these two 1. A serious suit 2. A gracious yet a wise return The suit is in these words vers 10. And they cried with a loud voice saying How long Lord dost thou not avenge our bloud c. Concerning this Cry we would premit these generals 1. We are not to conceive that souls audibly speak to the ears of men more than they are visible to their eyes seing they want materiall organs it is therefore to be understood with respect to the scope only as we said in the former 2. Neither have souls in Glory any sense of sufferings as if they were affected with them it is not consistent with that happy estate wherein they are as absolutely free of all tribulation and anxiety and will not admit of any such thing 3. Nor do they carry any revengefull thoughts to Heaven to desire vengeance for particular wrongs done unto them that agreeth not to Saints as Saints on Earth much lesse in Heaven where there is perfect purity 4. Neither are they conscious of the particular sufferings of Saints on earth Isa. 63.16 Yet may this cry of vengeance be applied to them in a three-fold sense 1. As it expresseth their respect to their Head Christ whose finall victory they in a holy way long for desiring to have all His enemies under His feet as will be at the last day which is the day of their full Redemption 2. As it proceedeth from their sympathie with the rest of the Members of Christs body in which respect they may be said to long for the perfecting of the Bride and the vindicating of her in generall from all her sufferings 3. It may be understood of the guilt that sticketh to their persecuters from their innocent suffering which in some sense pladeth for vengeance from God on the persecuters even after their death as it is said of Abels blood Gen. 4. that it cried to God against Cain to which it is like this doth allude so that crying for vengeance signifieth this much that their innocent sufferings are not forgotten by God but are as effectuall to procure vengeance from Him who is holy and true as if they were daily crying for it More particularly this Prayer hath three parts 1. The Petition it self to wit Vengeance 2. The Object against whom they pray 3. The Arguments whereby this Petition is enforced The Petition is in these words laid down by way of complaint Dost thou not avenge our bloud including in it a desire that their bloud might be avenge in the sense formerly laid down We take it mainly to respect Gods finall sentencing of persecuters at the last day of Judgement 1. Because many of these whose guilt made them liable to this vengeance during the former persecutions were already dead and so were without the reach of temporall judgements 2. Because it is such a vengeance which is sought that putteth an end to persecution as the reason of suspending this vengeance which is given in the answer cleareth it to wit that their brethren and fellow-servants were yet to be killed and therefore there behooved to be a suspending to satisfie that desire 3. Because the guilt of Saints bloud draweth on that judgement and the ends mentioned to wit Christs finall victory and the Saints absolute freedom do import no lesse yet may it have its partiall fulfilling by temporall judgements at particular times upon particular persons as might contribute in part to the vindicating of truth and the former ends such as Gods judgements upon persecuters under the following seal may be said to be alwayes reserving the full decision between Gods People and their enemies untill the great Day wherein this petition shall be fully satisfied 2. The object of this petition the men that dwell on the earth not as if all that were upon the earth were included under this imprecation there being many Godly then living in the world But they are so designed 1. Because often and particularly in these times the generality of the men of the world are persecuters and by acting conniving approving delighting or such like wayes do make themselves guilty one way or other of the bloud of Saints 2. They are so stiled to shew what sort of men they mean to wit wicked men or great men who aimed no further than this earth and to have a portion
cloud and the Moon shall not give her light c. In all which places the Prophets after their manner are aggreging temporall judgements by such expressions Again the first sort of effects of the Stars falling from their place of the mountains and islands their moving are upon the matter the same with Isa. 34.1 The Lord maketh the earth empty and turneth it upside down c. with vers 3. and 4. with Ierem. 4.24 Psal. 18.7 Habak 3.6 c. The other sort of effects are the same â— e. expressions of terror used Isa. 2.19 They shall go into the holes of the rocks and into the caves of the earth c. The other part of those effects we will find Hos. 10.8 They shall say to the mountains cover us and to the hills fall on us c. which words are by our Lord Luk. 23.30 applied to set out the terriblnesse of Gods judgement upon the Iews which was to come a little after at the destruction of Ierusalem From which places put together it will appear not inconsistent with this description and expressions thereof to apply this event to some temporall judgement For confirming whereof further we may 2. Consider that this event cannot be understood principally and primarily of the day of Judgement but must be understood of something going before that It is true the compleating of vengeance to speak so will be then at its height and by proportion we may gather from the terrible expressions used to hold forth Gods wrath in a temporall judgement the unconceivable dreadfulnesse of the last Day which will be exceedingly beyond the most terrible temporall event Yet we conceive the scope of this place is not to hold forth that day but some particular judgement wherein Gods wrath against the enemies of Christs Kingdom is in a singular and extraordinary way manifested For 1. The seventh seal is yet to be opened which containeth events in time posterior to the sixth as was shewen Lect. 1. on this Chapter 2. No mention hath hitherto been made of Antichrist either of his rise reign or ruine and it will not be consistent with that immediate dependence which each of the former seals hath one upon another to say that this sixth seal leapeth from the Heathenish persecution over many hundreds of years and all the interveening events till the day of Judgement 3. The matter contained in it is only terror against Christs enemies who are enemies to Him as Mediator which cannot be said of the day of Judgement which is as comfortable to His friends as terrible to His enemies and all sorts of wicked men It agreeth therefore better to some particular judgement than to that generall appearances 4. If this were the day of Judgement principally longed-for by the Saints in the former seal Then there needed not have been so many Arguments to presse quietnesse during the suspension of that suit if it were so instantly and immediately fulfilled 5. It is not like that the day of Judgement should be prophecied of and described before any temporall judgement on enemies be heard of especially seing they are spoken of in this same prophesie But concerning this see more in the first and seventh Lectures on this Chapter 3. We say This event prophecied of here cannot be understood as containing sad things to the Church but on the enemies and persecuters thereof which is clear 1. by the former consideration compared with the persons on whom this judgement falleth it is on Kings Captains and great Men of the earth Now during the Heathenish persecution under the former seals unto which this immediately succeedeth there were no such persons in the Church as these 2. This is confirmed by the terror accompanying this judgement which maketh them in their practice flee from Christ and in their words cry out against it as being to be reckoned with against their wills and as apprehending certainly wrath to themselves from His appearing as in the parallel places Hos. 10.8 Luke 23.30 is evident All which agreeth not with the Saints frame of Spirit especially under affliction who are crying How long O Lord as under the former seal and are described by this that they love Christs appearing and are joyfull of it as of the day of their Redemption 3. Persecution on the Church could breed no such terror on the Kings of the earth as is here prophecied of 4. We say this type cannot hold forth defection in Church-men as if that were typified by Stars falling from Heaven darkening of the Sun c. For darkening of light or defection of Church-men could not breed such terror on the Kings and great Men of the earth as is here they are not usually much troubled with these things and yet it is clear that this terror floweth as an effect from this sad judgement typified and expressed by these former expressions And therefore by the same reason this seal is not to be divided as if by the first part thereof were holden out defection in the Church and by the last judgement upon enemies seing this last part doth clearly hold forth the effects of the former and doth more fully explicate the same thing 5. We do also assert that here cannot be understood any trouble brought upon persecuters by Heathens nor any trouble brought upon the Empire while Emperours and Rulers were Christians by these who were Heathens such as that of the Goths and these inundâ—tions of barbarous Nations which after the four hundred year brake in upon the Empire For 1. the series of time will not agree to that this seal followeth immediately the Churches sufferings by Heathen Emperours and therefore it is not like the great mutation on the Empire when it became Christian should be omitted 2. This judgement speaketh out especially the wrath of Christ and that so palpably as His hand is in a more singular way acknowledged in it than the prevailing of Heathens against Heathens would readily produce This conviction as would seem of Christs being acknowledged in it flowing mainly from the instruments imployed and owned by Him in the execution of it and this terror that falleth on them is not that terror as it seaseth on all the wicked in the generall judgement such as was mentioned Chap. 1.7 nor that which affecteth men simply by the dread of Gods greatnesse as He is in Himself but it is two wayes qualified 1. It is the terror of Him that sitteth on the Throne that is of God as He ruleth in His Church in which respect He is holden forth Chap. 4. v. 5. and so distinguished from the Mediator so now by this judgement on enemies for persecuting His Church He maketh them know that He ruleth and hath a Throne particularly in Iacob to the ends of the earth as the Saints Prayer is Psal. 59.13 2. It is the wrath of the Lamb appearing as Mediator and befriending His Church which the more surpriseth them that formerly they despised both now they find them both
heat of persecution no violence nor cry in these straits no complaint of plundering or oppression no sequestration no quarterings there no poverty not a poor person among all that company entry into heaven putteth a close to all these none of them are admitted to follow a Believer further than the ports of the City It must then certainly be good to be there The Lamb His sweet companie and the enjoyment of Him compleateth all we hold both Grace and Glory of Him we have a speciall relation to Him He is in our own nature there God-man in one Person the greatest glimpse of the God-head will probably be attained in Him and all tears will be wiped way whatever may comfort a Believer will be given and what disquiets a Believer will be removed There are three things that disquiet a Believer that will not be in heaven 1. Sinning and interrupting of Gods service and neither â—in nor tentation will be there no devils nor corrupt nature flesh and bloud enter not there 2. The interruption of the sense of Gods favour which is now but at starts as He is pleased to let it out but no interruption of favour there as they serve Him day and night so He dwelleth among them the communion is constant And by the way Obs. That an uninterrupted serving of God and an uninterrupted communion with God and enjoying of Him go together 3. Outward persecutions and wants pinches and straits none of these do follow the Saints into heaven and in opposition to all these they enjoy God in a most excellent way and the companie of the Lamb and are feasted by living fountains of water and if any thing be more delectable than another they have it and that in abundance freshly flowing for ever Vse 1. Long in a holy and warrantable way to share and have experience of this happy condition and labour to entertain clearnesse of right and interest in it 2. Back your longings with endeavours to be at it It is to be feared that many of us when we shall yeeld our breath and soul do find that we have looked on Heaven as a story 3. Mortifie your members which are upon the earth what are all Idols when they are laid in the ballance for-against this happinesse in its highest degree with its soul-sweetning circumstances What happinesse so desirable as this or to be compared with the enjoying of God wherein there is perfect holinesse without sin and compleat happinesse without stop or interruption 4. Be comforting your selves from and confirming your selves in the hope of this happinesse all ye who are fled to Christ for refuge suppose ye be under tribulation now there is a time coming when ye will get out of it and though a body of death trouble you and wants oppression poverty hunger nakednesse c. keep you at under yet when ye come to Heaven ye shall be troubled with none of these things none are poor but all are rich there none are naked but all are cloathed with white robes none are hungry but all feasted and well fed and suppose ye have a heartlesse time here yet then there is no fear no sin nor sorrow nor cause nor occasion of it The result of all this is to commend to you these two directions 1. Seing all this happinesse cometh through washing in the Lambs bloud Think much of Believing make that knot sure it is that upon which Heaven hangeth loose that knot and Heaven will fall by from you This carnall security that is among the most part of you is not believing search and try your condition make sure your calling and election and seek to know that it is sure and out of question 2. Seing Heaven is such a happy life and there is a resemblance of it here aime at the beginning of it and we will find something of it in these words as they relate to the Church-militant 1. By serving God and by holinesse ceasing from sin They that serve God most uninterruptedly are likest Heaven count it your happinesse to be worshipping and serving God without intermission The more spirituall constant and immediate our service is the more it is like Heaven thus we enter in Gods rest Heb. 4.10 when we cease from our own works and do His. 2. To be enjoying Gods company though not in that immediate way as in Heaven yet by Faith in Him and by His Spirit in us and by the having our conversation lift up to him Col. 3.1 2. This is the earnest and first fruits of Glory much nearnesse and communion with God maketh us like Heaven the likest thing to it in the world is to dwell in Him and with Him 3. To be in Christs Flock under His care and tutory fed by Him and led by Him and feeding on Him and yeelding our selves up to Him 4. A contentednesse with our present condition and lot in the world as He is pleased to carve it out to us to learn in every estate to be content Philip. 4. in the enjoying of God and Christs care of us 5. Wainednesse of affection from carnall and worldly delights not engageing in nor thirsting after these Paul opposeth a heavenly conversation to this Phil. 3.19 20. In a word study to reach a further length in holinesse and endeavour after a more full communion with God and in all other things give him His will There might be some more fore-taste of happinesse had in these things Lord make us serious in seeking after them LECTURE I. CHAP. VIII Vers. 1. ANd when he had opened the seventh seal there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour 2. And I saw the seven Angels which stood before God and to them were given seven trumpets 3. And another Angel came and stood at the altar having a golden censer and there was given unto him much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all Saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne 4. And the smoke of the incense which came with the prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand WE have heard how under the former six seals the Lord hath been revealing and foreshewing the state of the Church here on earth till that first great change of bringing Christianity in request publickly and making it to be owned and countenanced by Authority in the world by reason whereof Idolaters and persecuterâ— should be disowned and discountenanced so far the sixth seal came to foreshew and hold out the shaking and overturning of that Idolatrous world and bringing horrour and trembling on persecuters Before he came to prosecute the opening of the seventh seal which bringeth the history of the Church that continueth to the end of the world in two periods one of the trumpets another of the vials he hinted in the former Chapter at this sad storm which was coming on the Church from all airths and at our Lords stepping in to hold these winds from
destruction of Antichrist and his world is clearly intended by the vials so this world which is overturned here must be understood of the visible Church on whose ruines that Antichristian world was erected seing the rise of Antichrist inferreth the defacing of the Church and that by the same steps and in the same method as his ruine followeth by the vials Neither can there be any other reason given of the accurate resemblance which is between the trumpets and vials which yet cannot be thought to be without reason neither can there be an overturning of the Antichristian world till it be built nor can it be thought to be builded but under the trumpets to wit after the Heathenish world is past and the Christian built yea after the Christian world beginneth to decay all which fall under the trumpets for two of those worlds cannot stand together yet still one of them followeth upon the back of the other so as the overturning of the Heathenish world supponeth Christianity to succeed and as the destroying of the Antichristian world by the vials supposeth purity to succeed So here the decay of the Christian world supposeth the Antichristian to succeed All which being put together 1. It is clear that the declining of the Church from purity and that the rise and discovery of Antichrist is the main scope of these trumpets 2. That we must expound Earth Mountains Waters Sun c. to be something in the Church bearing an analogie to these things in the world 8. Yet we say these trumpets are not to be so bounded as if the first were contemporary with Antichrists discovery and sensible rise which is in the fifth for then there would be a great void in the prophesie in passing over many considerable events in the Church during the second three hundred years wherein Truth and Christs Kingdom were much concerned which we conceive could not be omitted in this prophesie and yet no where else can be thought to be set down we are therefore to look on them as they hold out the Churches first storms after the world became Christian and whereby she was exercised during the time of Antichrists secret and unseen working who took occasion from all these to fix himself and by all which the world was by degrees disposed to receive him who after the first four trumpets is found to step out under the fifth and this we conceive to be the reason why the first four trumpets are distinguished from the last three which contain the story of Antichrist after his full manifestation From which considerations we suppose it is clear 1. That these trumpets denote the state of the Church with some order of time There is certainly order in the three last trumpets in respect of themselves and in respect of these which preceed and therefore it is not for the clearing of them to expound them of kinds of heresies in a confusion as agreeing to any time 2. That they do not principally intend temporall changes on the Roman Empire as the object of these mutations or as vindictive on them for their former persecutions though these spirituall ills be set out in expressions suiting temporall judgements even as the Churches disputes with Hereticks are set out by fightings and such like for the Saints and witnesses especially suffer temporally here when all the world otherwise rejoyceth Chap. 11. It remaineth then that the object is the Church-visible the nature of them is Spirituall principally as is said before with temporall exercises on the Church and judgements on the Empire The order and sum of the trumpets then we conceive to be this The four first trumpets which comparatively with the other three following are the lesser woes hold forth the Churches declining and weakening from under Constantine as was touched before about the three hundred and twenty year or thereabouts when Antichrist had his working under ground till his discovery which is in the fifth trumpet about the year six hundred and some odds holden out in these steps 1. What was set upon in all these beasts and in what order 2. By what means 3. With what successe and fruit 1. Enemies publickly set upon the very foundation of Christianity without which a man is no Christian as if Christ be by nature God if He was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in opposition to Arius of the same Essence with the Father though a different Person which who believed not in the Primitive times was justly accounted no Christian. This was done by discovered and open Hereticks such as Arius Macedonius Eutyches Nestorius c. striking all of them at the Person and Natures of our Lord Jesus This was a violent storm striking at the foundation and took away many Professors of all sorts yet the earth it self stood like a Rock though trees on it were burnt up All these Heresies were rejected by the Church and condemned by the first four famous generall Councels The first whereof was conveened at Nice by Constantine about the year 325. wherein was condemned the heresie of Arius who denied the God-head of Jesus Christ or that He was by nature God as the Father was though he accounted Him more than a man and so differeth from Photinus The second was at Constantinople by Gratian and Theodosius Anno 380. In this was condemned the heresie of Macedonius who denied the personality of the holy Ghost the third Person of the blessed Trinity His followers therefore were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. fighters against the spirit The third was at Ephesus under Theodosius the second Anno 431. It condemned Nestorius who made Christ to have Persons as two Natures The fourth was at Chalcedon under Martianus Anno 451. This rejected the Doctrine of Eutyches who in opposition to Nestorius attributed to Christ but one Nature thus confounding His Natures as the former had divided His Person In the computation of these times it is not to be expected that we can be so peremptory there being some little difference amongst Authors according to their various timing of events yet without any materiall prejudice to the truth of the story This is the first trumpet 2. This storm being by discovered enemies Satan cometh not so good speed he assayeth next the corrupting of government by removing of which he might have fair accesse to what he pleased or intended to bring in afterward To effectuate this he inflameth the Church-men with pride and from it for precedencie wakeneth contention as once he did amongst the Apostles whereby the work of God was much retarded and poor souls stumbled and the Ordinances of Christ especially government corrupted Who would see this may read Plessaeus mysterie of iniquity about the four hundred year and what dealing there was with the east Church and falsifying of votes of Synods as that of Nice proven from authentick Copies for that end sought and found by the fathers of Africk may be seen Câ—nt Magdeburg yea also in Baronius This prevaileth the
of a Ministery and publick preaching of the Gospel after that darknesse is both expressed and confirmed by Iohns eating of the little book and the word added that he must prophesie again as it were be revived after such a sad interruption This is vers 9 10 11. The publisher is four wayes described 1. He is called an Angel and a mighty Angel to difference Him from these that sounded the trumpets we conceive it to be understood of no created Angel but of Jesus Christ the Angel of the Covenant as the description following will hold Him forth 2. His clothing and appearing are set down in four particulars 1. He is clothed with a cloud often applied to God and only to Him in the Psalmes and Prophets whereby the unconceivable and inexpressible Glory and Soveraignity of God is pointed at 2. He is said to have a rainbow upon His head so is the Lords Throne described Chap. 4.3 and Ezek. â— 28 which is marked here not only to shew the Glory of our Lord Jesus Christ but that as the Rainbow Gen. 9.4 was a sign and a Sacrament as it were of the Lords Covenant with Noah of not destroying the earth again by water so our blessed Lord Jesus being often suspected to be forgetfull of His Covenant and being now to give warning of the deluge of wrath which was to come upon the Antichristian world He doth thus appear to evidence His mindfulnesse of His Covenant both in the overruling of the Churches affliction and His enemies ruine His face and His feet are described as formerly they were Chap. 1.15 whereby it appeareth to be one and the same Person The second Verse hath the third thing whereby He is described He had in his hand a little book open some way like Him that sat upon the Throne Chap. 5. only with this difference that there it was in the Fathers hand here in Christs there it is called simply a book here a little book that was sealed this is open what is meaned by His appearing with the book in his hand will appear from the end of the Chapter It holdeth forth here our Lord Jesus Christ to be the sender of the Gospel through the earth and the having of it as it were in His hand to send in a manifest and clear manner even then when it is most obscured and darkened in the world for which cause this book is open in His hand when the Temple and Ordinances were shut up amongst men as we may gather from the last vers of the 11. Chap. It is much debated what this little book is whether it be the same mentioned Chap. 5. or any distinct book containing distinct prophesies from what was in that book as if what followeth in this prophesie were revealed to Iohn by his eating of this last book as being contained in it It is not necessary much to debate this considering that it is represented to Iohn in vision and for another scope than the present furnishing of Iohn for compleating of this prophesie It will therefore be more suitable to say that this book is the same mentioned Chap. 5. as now in the hand of the Mediator and opened by Him and now called little because so much only may be accounted as hath not been by the former prophesies discovered or we may take the type of the open book to signifie the preserving of the Doctrine of the Gospel as if it were written on record and keeped in the hand of the Mediator and therefore can neither of it self be vitiate nor destroyed by Antichrist or Mahomet This the scope and the commanding of Iohn to eat it seem to favour but that it should contain prophesies different from what was contained in the former book Chap. 5. so that the former prophesies belong to that book and what followeth this Chapter to this book mentioned here we cannot assent to 1. Because all the trumpets belonged to the first book as being comprehended under the seventh seal of that book Chap. 8. but the seventh trumpet followeth in the close of the eleventh and is further explicated to the end of the book Therefore all these prophesies are contained in the first book mentioned Chap. 5. 2. This Chapter and the next unto the 15. vers do belong to the second wo and therefore must be supposed to be contained in the same book with the first part Chap. 9. Again 3. if that series laid down in the preface to the 6. Chap. hold that the seventh seal comprehendeth the seven trumpets and again the seventh trumpet the seven vials Then the seven vials are comprehended under the seventh trumpet and so both vials and trumpets under the seventh seal Beside if this following part of the prophesie were compared with the former we see no reason why it should either be called little or open more than the former The reason why this book is open in the hand of Christ we conceive to be beside what was above hinted 1. To shew Christ Jesus His acquaintance with the mysteries of God this book is open to Him and therefore that we may trust Him in the revealing of the secrets of God 2. To typifie the future spreading of the Gospel and to confirm it upon this ground that as Jesus Christ had prevailed to open the book of the secrets of God when it was sealed and none was found able to open it so might it be expected from Him that the Gospel should be again brought to light notwithstanding that during the reign of Antichrist it seemed to men impossible 4. The posture wherein this Angel was is observed He sâ—tteth his right foot upon the seâ— and his left foot on the earth by which is set out His Soveraignty over both and so that He hath Authority and Power to make out what He now pronounceth Or this setting his foot on the earth and upon the sea being compared with the first part of the 1. vers I saw a mighty Angel come down it may look to be a type of Christs coming to take possession of the earth again who during Antichrists reign seemed as it were to be keeped in Heaven yet afterward He shall come down and establish His Government through the earth and by His Power bring under the greatest and most raging enemies This suiteth with that expression Chap. 11.17 of His taking to Him His great Power and reigning as if there had been an interruption of His Kingdom formerly which place is the fulfilling of what is here prophesied of Before the Angels words be set down severall circumstances are marked for making this Proclamation the more observable v. 3. He cried with a loud voice as when a lion roareth which holdeth forth seriousnesse and Authority in Him who goeth about this work and that he purposeth to have what He hath to say taken notice of The second circumstance is an interveening effect before His words be marked seven thunders uttered their voices We may look upon what preceedeth
not because of any worth that is in them or for their own sake But 1. for His sake and for His Authority that sendeth them 2. For the event of their word which will certainly come to passe and that more terribly and as certainly as ever any temporall judgement was brought on by Moses or Elias Fear to come in tops with this word it is a sword with two edges and will kill these who oppose and do not submit unto it LECTURE III. Vers. 7. And when they shall have finished their testimony the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomlesse pit shall make war against them and shall overcome them and kill them 8. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt where also our Lord was crucified 9. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three dayes and an half and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves 10. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoyce over them and make merry and shall send gifts one to another because these two Prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth FRom the seventh Verse he proceedeth to describe the Churches estate in the condition of her Ministers The first step whereof i.e. their prophesying in sackloth contemporary with the Gentiles treading the holy City under foot is past now follow other two steps further 1. What was the low condition they were brought unto and the beasts prevailing over these witnesses killing and murthering them to vers 12. The last step is their Resurrection and the making of them and their testimonie and the state of the Church more glorious and visible than before Their low condition is set out 1. in their death 2. What went before it vers 7.8 And 3. in what followed after in the enemies insulting vers 9 10. set forth in severall circumstances The first circumstance whereby this is set out is the time of their killing vers 7. When they have finished their testimonie or were about to finish their testimonie for it is within the term of Antichrists height that this is done what was called prophesying before is called their testimony here because for that end they were to testifie and preach It is called their testimonie to set out that peculiar task which God had given them as their work and earand that behoved to be done and ended even as it is said of Iohn that he finished his course Acts 13 â—â— and so Paul speaketh of himself 2 Tim. 4 7. Thus was it with Christ He preached about three years and an half who was the true witnesse and could not be impeded till his hour came and his testimony and work given him was finished Ioh. 17. More particularly it will be found to be about the expiring of the fourty two moneths which is one with the beasts coming to an height for as we shew before these Prophets prophesying is contemporary with the beasts reign their putting on sackcloth and mourning is occasioned by his rise and so beginning together they go on in an equal length and therefore must end together that is at the beasts begun fall when they begin to put off their sackcloth But the question thence riseth 1. How can it be said that their testimonie is finished and they are killed and reproached when Ministers testifying is a continuing work And 2. how can it be said that the beast prevaileth more against the witnesses now at the beginning of his fall than in the time of his reign For answer 1. Consider That though now moe witnesses have appeared against Antichrist whereby it cometh to passe that these two witnesses are about to finish their testimony and as it were to go off the stage because God had now provided many for that task yet the period of Antichrists absolute tyranny is not at a close as we will find afterward And the Lord wisely made His Church somewhat more visible before that so this great act of his cruelty might be the more discernable and that thereby marches might be the more clearly rid betwixt the period containing his height and that which immediately followeth wherein is contained his decay and ruine 2. Consider these two witnesses testimony may be said to be finished when the manner of their testifying is finished or changed That is either 1. when their number is encreased and God giveth moe witnesses by bringing some others in their tour Or 2. When they then testifie more publickly and boldly who were before hid and scarcely discerned as the Church while she was in the wildernesse now they appear and openly avow their Doctrine and give a publick visible testimony Or 3. When their sackcloth is something altered and that contempt and reproach that was upon honest Ministers is somewhat diminished and they begin to get countenance it may be by some great persons or Princes their testimony may be said to be finished though not simply yet in some respect for this testimony of theirs seemeth to be especially intended as a check against Antichrists reign when all the world should be going after him Now after such a long time the Ministers step out more publickly to cry down Antichrist he is irritated and fighteth and warreth against them and by his discerning them better now than before he cometh at them with outward cruelty more And God having guarded His own testimony and made the world more sensible of these evils by their publick appearing and suffering in His righteous judgement and deep wisdom He permitteth Antichrist to prevail that this testimony may be sealed by suffering and bloud in which the sufferers are overcomers as it is Chap. 12.11 and Christ getteth no lesse testimony and victory in that The second circumstance is the party by whom they are killed it is the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomlesse pit to wit Antichrist or the Pope compare this with Chap. 13. and 17 18. It is a beast making war with the Saints there and here who will be found guilty of their bloud First He is called the beast as these in Dan. 7. and 8. are called 1. For his power and greatnesse 2. For his cruelty and inhumanity Secondly He is said to come from the bottomlesse pit to wit out of hell So his Doctrine came from thence Chap. 9.1 he is called the angel of the bottomlesse pit and cometh after the working of Satan whatever he pretend Thirdly He is said to be ascending in the present time 1. to shew his propinquity that in its first steps he was beginning to work 2 Thess. 2. 2. That he rose insensibly and as it were by degrees till he was on his seat and there is but one beast mentioned here because these two Chap. 13. are indeed but one and the same The third circumstance is in the degree of this in three expressions to wit make war overcome and kill them Quest. What was
said to rise again and their death must be such a death as is consistent with that and with the manner of their rising 3. It is not three years for dayes for 1. no considerable application can be given that agreeth with it That which interveeneth between Charles the fifth his taking and imprisoning the Elector of Saxon and Landgrave of Hessen and Mauritius Duke of Saxon his making him again to flee and the peace which was concluded at Paussow with Ferdinand will in strict account be about five years and odds to wit from April 1547. to August 1552. The third circumstance is vers 10. their exceeding great mirth and jollity which is aggreged from the reason of it in the end of the vers all that dwell on the earth that is all carnall Professors of that antichristian Kingdom for the earth here is opposed to the true Church which is called Heaven shall make such feasts and chearfulnesse and use all signs of joy which men do in their greatest mirth and upon obtaining greatest victories See Esther 9.18 after their delivery and Nehem. 8.10 c. These are the greatest tokens of mirth Let us consider the victory which is the cause These two Prophets that before tormented them now they are rid of them and at ease We shall enquire in the reasons of these 1. Why faithfull Preachers are often a torment and torture to the men of the world who neither can abide their consciences to be stirred their faults touched their designs marred or lusts restrained c. such Moses and Aaron were to Pharaoh the prophet to Ieroboam Elias and Micajah to Ahab and Iezebel Iohn Baptist to Herod c. 2. Why a profane people will be so glad to be rid of honest Ministers and yet well pleased with hirâ—lings Ahab could abide four hundred Prophets of Iezebel but could not endure one Micajab that spoke the truth The world is now swarming with the supporters of Antichrist who live delicately on the fat of the earth uncontrolled yet two poor witnesses of Christ are unsufferable And 3. Why the Lord often upon the back of a begun rise of the Gospel will suffer an exceeding nipping storm to arise against it For the first faithfull Ministers especially in times of declining may be said to torment the earth these six wayes 1. Their word and testimonie hath influence on the conscience when it forcibly discovereth and reproveth the ill which a hearer is guilty of it is said Acts. 7.54 that Stephens free witnessing cut the hearers that were guilty to the heaâ— that is when they cannot get leave to quench all challenges and to sleep on but these witnesses by the power and evidence of the Word and Spirit do condemn their deeds and consequently themselves That galleth them and wanteth not ifluence upon profane consciences though they stop it as Stephens hearers did their ears 2. It tormenteth their will and affection that when they would sleep on and delight themselves in these wayes of their own free preaching marreth their quietnesse even as when Elias cometh to Ahab with this word Hast thou killed and gotten possession and so proceedeth in the threatning 1 King 21. he goeth home sad and all the pleasure that he expected in his new garden evanished so saith the same King of Micajab that he hated him because he never prophesied good to him he was alway thorturing him as Elijah did and as Moses and Aaron did to Pharaoh 3. It tormenteth their corruptions and lighteth upon their Idols by discovering and reproving them and so stirreth up their enimity as Iohn's free preaching did to Herod and Herodias they touch folks sores and that tormenteth them though it be tenderly done yea some good men as Asa 1 King 16.10 have been tormented with this and could not abide it and when enimity and envie are wakened they have a cruell torment as we may see in Haman at Mordecai There is no greater torment to a malignant heart swollen with enimity against the power of Godlinesse in the Godly than to have a faithfull testimonie against it and this pain proceedeth not from any unskilfulnesse and untendernesse in the Minister but from the desperatnesse of their corruption which is like some grievous sore that cannot abide to be cleansed or purged by the most tender Physician 4. It affecteth and tormenteth their credit and pride when their Religion is called superstition idolatry and no Religion they cannot away with that to be called guilty of such and such crimes men in nature and as such cannot digest it and faithfull witnesses must tell them when they go to the left hand yea and to the right also and lift up their voice for that end like a trumpet hence the Pharisees say they will bring this mans bloud upon our heads Acts. 4.5 and that tormenteth them to call the Pope Antichrist and Rome Babylon must be pricking This hath ofen made faithfull Ministers appear untolerable when proud humours disdained to have them meddling with their actions much lesse to condemn them 5. Their testimonie affecteth the ease and outward quietnesse of the world for men naturally love so much Religion as never putteth them to trouble but where faithfull witnessing cometh it will not be content with a form but it casteth their old wayes and bringeth in new as they suppose and that ordinarily meeting with Satans opposition in the world and mens corruption bringeth changes contests wars and judgements for abusing this Word which judgement the witnesses threaten in this sense Ahab calleth Elijah the troubler of Israel 1 King 18.17 And the Apostles are said to turn the world upside down and from this many say it was a good world before but since these Ministers arose there is no peace hence some places of the world yea some Pharisees have more outward peace with formall Ministers yea with Idolatrie than when Christ is preached therefore Christ saith He came not to send peace but a sword and thus the world thinketh if they were quit of some heady Ministers all would be quiet It is no marvell then that worldly men rage at this and that it torment these who have their portion here only 6. Men in darknesse have accesse to their private designs but light crosseth their interest and so tormenteth them for the keeping of a good conscience which Ministers that are faithfull must presse maketh folks inflexible to these crooked ends which the world cannot abide to have obstructed or crossed thus the Prophet that testified against Ieroboam's worship crossed his intent and so marred the securing of the Kingdom to him as Ieroboam thought and this made him hate thâ—t freedom This may in part vexe all sorts but especially it is intolerable to great men who fret to be bounded either in reference to end or midses and cannot abide to be reproved which was in Asa's case formerly hinted we may see it also in the three Children Dan. 3. It galleth the King that a pretext of
most probable some extraordinary instinct and impulse of the Spirit constraining the Preachers and Professors of the Gospel now to a publick separation from Rome more than formerly was 3. And they heard it whereby is shown that though God had given many commands of separating from Antichrist and of coming out of Babel in the former ages yet were they not heard nor understood even by many Godly then living in that fellowship and burdened with their superstitions but now God giveth these revived witnesses at the beginning of Reformation to heat and distinctly to understand His mind in this particular and it doth imply also that though many saw their practice yet was not their call cleared to all possibly alluding to that of Paul Acts 9. where though many saw a glimpse of the light about him yet he only heard the voice that spake to him 4. The great thing in the call is the duty called-for Come up hither that is to Heaven as the words following do clear That the term from which is the antichristian Church and World and the low condition that Christs Servants had by her means is evident The term to which to wit Heaven we conceive is not properly to be understood of the glorious seat of the blessed but of a glorious visible Church-state upon earth it being ordinary especially in this Book to set forth the visible Church under this name and so the meaning is they shall not continue in their former sackcloth-condition but God shall erect a visible Church distinct from Antichrist which shall be as to the purity and beauty of Ordinances and to freedom from Antichrists tyrannie and persecution in comparison of what formerly the Saints were obnoxious unto like an ascending to Heaven That thus it must be understood beside what was said at the entry appeareth 1. It is a Heaven in opposition to the world formerly mentioned which was that of Antichrist 2. It is an happinesse opposit to their former low estate now when they are revived they are not permitted to live within the precincts of Antichrists dominion and under his tyrannie as before but are called up from without his reach 3. It is the same Heaven mentioned under the seventh trumpet vers 19. that is where the Temple Ark and Covenant is and their ascending is the opening of that Temple c. 4. It is such a Heaven as that Chap. 12. that Satan is cast down from as that the Man-child is taken up into vers 5. and 8. and such an Heaven as the everlasting Gospel is preached into Chap. 14.6 and that after the beasts begun ruine but all these are to be understood of a visible Church-state Therefore this must be so also especially considering that these witnesses are called Stars they are now fixed to shine in this Heaven of a visible Church-state as put on a candlestick that they may give light to the world more than formerly they were in capacity to do Their obedience followeth they ascend up to Heaven c. meaning their taking on them that publick owning of the Gospel which they were called to and the certainty of the effect following the former call such a condition followed indeed as they were called to 2. The manner of their ascending was in a cloud that is gloriously and safely as the Lord is said to be clothed with a cloud their glory and safety is by divine Power it is like with allusion to Christs ascension Acts 1. both these Resurrections being by one Power It is said also to be in a cloud because though it were discernable to onlookers yet was it mysterious and dark to them who could not discern through the many reproaches and imputations put upon the first Reformers the beauty of the work in their hand and the glory of Gods dispensation to His Church in them 3. It is marked that their enemies beheld them they saw them dead they saw them raised to their feet and now they behold them ascending which sheweth still a visible and remarkable change in the steps and progresse of His Church and the reality and greatnesse of it which could not be marred by their opposers though they beheld it which certainly would provoke their enimity and increase their envy the more They are called their enemies not for any particular wrong these witnesses had done to them but for the work in their hands these witnesses should still have enemies retaining their enimity yet were restrained from marring their exaltation which sheweth that the reviving of the Gospel and down-bringing of Antichrist will be by degrees In short these two verses say that the Gospel shall again flourish and the witnesses thereof shall be placed in a honourable condition suitable to their profession in despight of all their opposers In the 13. vers this glorious condition of the witnesses is set out by four glorious concomitants going alongst with it or consequents following upon it 1. And the same hour was there a great earth-quake By earth-quake Chap. 6.12 and vers 19. of this same Chapter is understood great and sudden temporall mutations By this we understand the great commotions which usually accompanie Reformation whereby Kingdoms are put in an uproar Satan and his instruments wakening up enimity against the Gospel and the Lord powerfully carrying on His design maketh the earth as it were to shake till He accomplish it This did really fall out and it may well be thought to be the fulfilling of this prophesie in Germanie France Holland England Scotland c. when at first the witnesses were brought to a visible Church-state separated from Rome The second effect following upon the former is a tenth part of the city fell It hath no name here and therefore must be understood to relate to that called the great city vers 8. that is the city having dominion over the Kings of the earth Chap. 17. vers 18. that is Rome to be taken not strictly in respect of that particular Town but more largely in respect of its Empire and Dominion as was formerly said It is said a tenth part of this Dominion falleth because by this publick preaching of the Gospel and the witnesses separating of themselves from her a great and considerable part of that Dominion is diminished and brought down or as Chap. 14. by that expression Babylon is fallen is fallen is set forth not the destruction of a City alone but the ruine of Antichrists Kingdom so here by the fall of a part of that City we are to understand the begun ruine and destruction of that Kingdom which was to accompanie the reviving of light in the world as is said and was actually fulfilled in the withdrawing of England Scotland Denmark Sweden and a great part of Germanie France Helvetia Polland Low Countries c. from their former dependance upon the beast The third effect following on this is a great number of men even seven thousand men were slain In the Original it is Names of men pointing at
some more eminent than others in this City the meaning is that as by the sudden ruine and fall of Cities especially by earth-quakes many inhabitants usually are destroyed so by this begun ruine of the Romish antichristian Dominion many of her followers shall be destroyed and that of the most eminent and renowned among them which may be fulfilled partly in the overthrows and defeats of Popish Armies but especially the overturning of Abbayes Monasteries Cloisters and religious Orders whereby indeed a great part of that Dominion was eclipsed and many of Babylons Citizens were cast out and their habitations destroyed and brought to nought The fourth effect followeth And the remnant were affrighted and gave glory to the God of Heaven which is not to be understood of a reall work of Repentance upon all the remnant of that Kingdom for Chap. 16. even when the vials are powred forth we find they repent not but as at Christs crucifixion Matth. 27.54 Gods hand was so discernable that it made many onlookers smite on their breasts and acknowledge something of God to be there so this sudden begun overturning of Antichrists Kingdom and particularly the pulling down of Monasteries and Abbayes formerly so sacred shall be so remarkable that many of that Kingdom shall at least in profession renounce fellowship with it and others be made to acknowledge something more than humane in this businesse The scope is to shew the extraordinarinesse of Gods appearing and the impression which it should have upon many formerly friends to Antichrists Kingdom This 14. vers The second wo is past and behold the third wo cometh quickly is to be expounded as vers 12. Chap. 9. By it the march of the seventh trumpet is cleared to be at the begun change of Religion in the world and to shew that what formerly hath passed doth belong unto the former trumpets tending to that scope that Iohn and the people of God might be comforted against the sad things foretold by the fifth and sixth trumpets therefore that which formerly was under a type revealed to Iohn Chap. 10. is in this Chap. by word for his greater confirmation renewed and repeated Before we leave this part of the prophesie it will be needfull to inquire 1. If these 1260. dayes of the Gentiles treading under foot the outer court and the Prophets prophesieing in sackcloth be expired and if the killing of the witnesses be past 2. How or what way this prophesie is fulfilled that so we may take occasion to consider this time more particularly and compare the event in storie with this prophesie In clearing of the first we would not be understood as supposing all the triall of the Saints and Ministers to be past or that by analogie from these witnesses killing immediatly after the finishing of their testimonie it might not be gathered that the work of God often suffereth great obstruction even after its begun rise and that the saints and witnesses are most subject to great difficulties and straits when the Gospel in their hands is even come to the birth and bringing forth as in the examples of Moses Elias Zerubbabel and the Apostles may be seen we grant that by proportion such doctrines may be raised from this prophesie yet if we will more seriously consider the particular event and time prophetically aimed at by the Spirit in this place we will find that these dayes here intended are expired and that this killing of the witnesses is fulfilled and so that the seventh trumpet hath sounded and our time is to be reckoned as under it for making out whereof we offer these considerations 1. The sounding of the seventh trumpet and closing of the second wo do immediatly or without long intervall follow the absolute and uncontroverted dominion of Antichrist and his treading under foot the holy City fourty and two moneths So that the controverting of Antichrists power and diminishing of it must necessarily infer the expiring of these fourty and two moneths and the sounding of the seventh trumpet Now any acquaintance with the state of the Church during these 100. years past in comparison of what it was before will evidence Antichrists power to be in a great measure shaken and his kingdom to be eclipsed and that this cannot be called the time of his absolute and universal tyrannie and therefore must be subsequent to it 2. It is clear that this ruine of Antichrist is not instantly brought to a height but is perfected by seven vials Chap. 16. whereof the seventh trumpet is a sum Seing then the expiring of these 1260. dayes of his domineering cannot be restricted to the time of his totall fall because at the close of these dayes he maketh war against the witnesses and prevaileth and not the whole City but a tenth part thereof by their Resurrection falleth and the seventh trumpet followeth whereby his ruine is accomplished It will therefore follow that we must reckon the fulfilling of this prophesie of the expiring of these dayes and the raising of the witnesses from the begun decay and the ruine of Antichrists Kingdom by the vials and it being certain that the vials are already begun to be powred forth and also certain that these vials belong to the seventh trumpet which goeth alongst with or immediately followeth after the witnesses ascension It must also follow that this time falleth under the seventh trumpet and so is beyond these former events and supposeth them to be fulfilled 3. That time when Nations become the Lords and when the Temple is open and the Ark of the testimonie is seen therein doth belong to the seventh trumpet as the exposition thereof will clear it being supposed that before the blowing of the seventh trumpet and during these 1260. dayes that the Kingdoms of the earth were not the Lords that the Temple was shut and that the Ark of the testimonie or Word of God was not seen into it and it being now clear that these events are fulfilled in our dayes we must therefore look upon this time as belonging to that trumpet Before we confirm it further we would remove some-what objected against the fulfilling of this prophesie by some Learned and worthy men Mede and Roberts upon the place endeavouring to prove this prophesie of the witnesses killing to be yet to be fulfilled and so those 1260. dayes not to be expired The 1. Object is This prophesie cannot be fulfilled so long as Antichrist continueth in such power and reigneth with such freedom Therefore the fulfilling of it is yet to be looked-for Answ. This supponeth the fulfilling of this prophesie to depend upon Antichrists compleat destruction which being carried on by many degrees under the seventh trumpet as is said cannot be granted And therefore we say the fulfilling of this prophesie and Antichrists absolute dominion are not consistent this is granted but the fulfilling of it and his begun ruine though continuing to reign in part may stand together and must go together as it said Now it is
trumpet the Lord here giving a little hint of the coming events by way of preface and opening the Temple vers 19. which formerly was shut and what followeth upon that Chap. 15.6 out of the Temple thus opened come seven Angels having the seven last plagues which are the particular instruments of this last wo expressed generally under the terms of lightenings thunderings earthquakes in this Chapter We may adde that the whole prophesies of this Book and so that of the seven vials is comprehended in that Book which the Lion of the tribe of Iudah opened Chap. 5. And seing Chap. 10. the finishing of the mystery of God is applyed to the seventh trumpet these vials then must contemporate with and belong unto that trumpet seing the event that is applied to it is Chap. 16 17 and 18. particularly described and to be fulfilled by them and if they belong not to this trumpet it could not be said that the event fulfilled by them to wit the avenging of Gods people on the Antichrist and the whore and their destruction were also fulfilled by it A special weight of the whole series laid down doth lye in the confirmation of this to wit that the seventh trumpet and the seventh vial do contemporate and belong to the same times and events we therefore further adde that we must either say that this trumpet doth contemporate only with the seventh vial or with all the vials or at least with some few of them and not with all But neither the first nor the last can be said not the first to wit that the seventh trumpet and the seventh vial only do contemporate because if so then the six first vials immediately preceeding behoved to contemporate with the six trumpets or these which preceed the seventh But that cannot be 1. Because the six first trumpets and the seventh are different prophesies six of them continuing the height of the Churches enemies and her low condition and the seventh contrarily and all the seven vials continue matter of one kind to wit the Churches rising condition and her enemies down bringing they cannot therefore be said to contemporate with prophesies of diverse natures 2. If the first six vials should belong to the sixth trumpet and contemporate with it Then it will follow that the Churches lowest condition and most flourishing condition did belong to one prophesie yea to one step of one prophesie to wit one trumpet and on the contrary that the heighest and lowest condition of the Churches enemies to wit Antichrist did belong to one period yea to one step of the same period of the Churches condition for it is clear that the Church is never lower than under the sixth trumpet as the exposition of it doth clear and what preceedeth in this Chapter doth confirm and enemies were never higher treading all under foot on the contrary during the first six vials the Church beginneth to flourish the plagues are powred out upon his kingdom and seat and himself taken and cast in the lake by the sixth vial But this is absurd that such contrary events as Antichrists height and ruine should belong to one period yea to the sixth part of one period and the like can be shewed in no other step of this prophesie wherein two such contrary events are comprehended either amongst the seals trumpets or vials They cannot then be comprehended under the sixth trumpet they must therefore all belong to the seventh 3. These vials as they contain matter of one kind so are they one principall prophesie and therefore they are no more to be divided so as to contemporate some with the seventh trumpet and others with the sixth than we ought to divide the trumpets to contemporate some of them with the seventh seal and others with the seals preceeding considering that the spirit keepeth the same form in expressing this principall prophesie by seven vials as in the former by seven seals and seven trumpets 4. This doth confirm it also that the contemporating of the first six vials with the sixth trumpet would certainly lengthen it to an exceeding disproportionablenesse for Antichrists height and dominion take up a long time these six vials also take in a long continuance it is safer therefore to contemporate all the vials with the seventh trumpet and so their beginning being at one time as well as the close their duration must be the same also 5. This seventh trumpet bloweth immediately on the back of the second wo which is the matter of the sixth trumpet Now the six first vials cannot belong to the second wo for it s called a wo because of the hurt and prejudice that cometh by it to the Church Now these six vials that destroy Antichrist contain a great and unspeakable benefit to the Church and are plagues in respect of the judgement that cometh on Antichrist by them neither could well the seventh trumpet be called the third wo as bringing a wo with it to Antichrist and his kingdom if so be the six first vials did preceed it for they destroy him they must therefore begin together The great reason that maketh some presse for the contemporating of the first six vials with the sixt trumpet is that thereby they may bear out the seventh trumpet to be yet fully to come and so although the vials be begun there may be the freer accesse to divine concerning supposed strange events of that trumpet but from what is formerly said in the preceeding Lecture and what further may be said Chap. 20. it appeareth that the seventh trumpet is blown already which doth confirm the Synchronism laid down There are two main objections here 1. That the seventh trumpet supponeth an absolute freedom from Antichrist and all enemies because of these expressions The Lord omnipotent reigneth the kingdoms of the earth are become the Lords c. which cannot be verified during the first six vials in the last whereof Antichrist is high by his frogs conveening Kings and Nations against the Church c. Therefore this seventh trumpet must contemporate with the seventh vial only Answ. This argument doth proceed from the misunderstanding of the meaning of this Text for this doth not shew events preceeding the blowing of this trumpet or what case the Church and world shall be in when it shall blow but by anticipation these phrases do expresse what was to follow upon the blowing thereof and what a wonderfull change might be expected by it and this agreeth with the manner used in all the other types of this prophesie whereby the Churches estate is painted out according as by the effects typified it was to be It doth therefore rather infer the contrary thus If by the sounding of the seventh trumpet Nations become the Lords c. Then the seventh trumpet doth not follow Antichrists finall overthrow but is to carry it on because by it Nations are to be gained from him But the first is true from the words Therefore it is not to be posterior to
being exactly conform as was clear in the 8. Chap. doth confirm this The Serpent is said to cast this floud out of his mouth which importeth 1. that the originall of all error is from the devil the father of lies And what kind of waters can these be that proceed out of such a mouth this is to make men loath all declinings from Truth for the devil hath as it were disgorged himself by sending abroad such a thing 2. It importeth a suddennesse in the rise and a vehemencie in the driving on of such errors that he did not only spew these out of his mouth but he did cast them with a kind of violence and force Lastly It sheweth also his malice that throweth such flouds after a fleeing woman This agreeth well also according to the former application under the first four trumpets unto the primitive errors which indeed were like a floud and were most violently carried on to the great hurt of the Church This letteth us see how impetuous error will be for a time and what height in the justice of God it may come unto 3. It is said to be casten after the woman which doth not only import his lavelling it at her and his seeking thereby to infect the Ordinances and the Mother that bringeth forth and the true Spouse of Jesus Christ for the rest of the world he doth not much value them But also it doth import 1. That the woman was moving And 2. that he took the advantage of her moving as it were to carrie her the more easily away before she could settle this is clear from the fourth thing which is his design to wit that he might cause her to be carried away with the floud It is not said that he might drown her with the floud but that with such errors he might drive her from Truth and stedfastnesse therein and carry her away in that floud with the rest of the unstable world and so in a word that he might undo her that she should be no Woman and no Church We conceive the event to be answerable in these two 1. The Church by temporall pomp and grandour and multiplying of ceremonies and such like did begin the flight of the true Church and did someway by that declining obscure her 2. When spirits were grown somewhat carnall and had fallen from their former simplicity then the devil took advantage to raise up abominable errors and did drive them on impetuously intending thereby to destroy all and involve the few that keep their garments clean in these abominations which two are clear in story as hath been formerly said In the 16. vers we have the remedy and covert provided against this storm whereby the devils design is disappointed it is said And the earth helped the woman and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the floud which the Dragon cast out of his mouth In the generall this seemeth hard to be expounded or applied yet we must follow the simple scope and strain of the allegorie which is this that as the devil casteth out errors like flouds to carrie away the Church as proper flouds of water do carrie things before them so the Lord doth provide means to drain and drie up these flouds of errors as effectually as the earths opening of its mouth will soon dry up a floud And it being somewhat certain what the flouds are it will be safest to look to the means which in the event were made use of for the restraining of these abominations The verse hath two things 1. The mean or instrument of the womans help and the earth helped the woman 2. There is the manner how the earth administereth this help she openeth her mouth and swalloweth up the floud which the Serpent had cast out of his mouth By earth here we cannot understand the world as contradistinguished from the visible Church because there is no way conceivable of their helping the woman against errors Neither in the event will any thing of that be found Truth for these Goths and Vandals that invaded the Empire did altogether befriend the Arians and were enemies to the pure Church We must then by earth understand the visible Church at that time which was declining from the simplicity of the Gospel and becoming earthly in her services and administrations as we heard Chap. 7. she is called the earth which the wind was to blow upon That it must be so understood here to wit of the declining visible Church as contradistinguished from the pure Members therein these things will clear 1. Because it must necessarily be understood of the visible Church and yet it is expresly contradistinguished from the woman and her seed that comprehendeth the pure Members Therefore by earth here must be understood that part of the visible Church which was declining fast from its purity 2. There is no way of applying of the earths opening its mouth and drinking up of that floud but to understand it of that declining Church as is said 3. The event also will clear it as somewhat was said Chap. 8. and what we may now hint will further evidence Lastly There is no other thing will suit the allegorie as the application will make appear If it be asked how the visible Church can be called the earth during the first four trumpets Answ. 1. We must not have respect only to the first four trumpets but to the whole period of all the six and therefore as the woman is contradistinguished from the visible Church and said to be hid for the space of 1260. dayes because her low condition came to a height in that time though for a time she wanted not liberty even so in opposition to that the declining part of the visible Church during that time is called earth because in that period her earthlinesse came to a height although for a time it was but advancing And upon this ground Antichrist and his followers are said to tread the outter Court Chap. 11.2 3. during all that whole period though for a considerable time he came not to a height And this answer must be admitted otherwise there is no agreeing of these prophesies which speak of the whole period as at its height when notwithstanding they have many degrees to passe before they come to that â— That visible Church may be called the earth because of its earthly pomp and grandour having great titles contests for precedencie ample temporall governments in her officers and such like whereby she looked more earthly-like in her carriage and proceedings than the first primitive Church which appeared clothed with the Sun and in a heavenly frame in the beginning of the Chapter 3. She may be called the earth that helped the woman because of the countenance that oftentimes she had of civil Magistrates and the concurrence that was between the then visible Church and the Magistrates at that time for the suppressing of errors 4. It may be said the earth helped the woman because
of the generall concurrence of multitudes of all Nations within the visible Church which being compared with the few single ones might be called by this name It is here to be adverted that when we speak of the earths concurring to help the woman during that time that it is not to be suppoâ—ed that many of the good Emperours and ancient Fathers are to be accounted of this declining Church as it is contradistinguished from the woman for though they be distinguished yet they are not separated in place but as hath often been said they might be in one Councel and yet fall under this contradistinction Beside the visible Church at that time is not denominated from any honest persons that were in her but from her generall â—endencie to earthlinesse in worship during this period as is said Also we will find this necessity of distinguishing many of the womans seed that lived under Antichrist from being a part of his Church even in the darkest time The second thing in the verse is the manner how this part of the visible Church helpeth the true Church The earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the floud which the Dragon cast out of his mouth By earth we understand as is said the declining part of the visible Church which in end became antichristian And among other reasons why she is called the earth here we conceive this is one because that declining Church was to preserve the Truth in reference to these four primitive errors even in its most earthly temper and in its lowest degree of declining by which the Doctrine of the God-head and of the Person of our blessed Lord Jesus hath been preserved for the benefit of the womans seed even amongst their corrupt Writers Also this exposition of earth will answer the allegory well for as the earths drinking up of flouds is the ordinary way whereby they are â—â—swaged So the visible Church her opening of her mouth that is by serious exhortations in preachings disputes in writings determinations in Synods and Councels and such like is the ordinary and approven mean of restraining error and preserving Truth It is said The earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the floud which the Dragon câ—â—â—â—ut of his mouth This swallowing doth not imply any affection and love to that floud foâ—â—he doth not kindlily drink it But it importeth 1. an indignation at it 2. a haste and speediness in concurring for drying up the same 3. a ridding of marches in some full and eminent manner for the vindicating of these Truths In the former verse the devil is called the Serpent because he was carrying his design closely here he is called the Dragon because his design cometh to be discovered It is not said that the earth did swallow up the floud which the Dragon did cast after the woman but simply the floud that he cast out of his mouth the reason of this is because the earth that is the declining Church when indeed materially she was helping the woman the pure Church yet had she no discerning of that distinction but was only provoked with indignation against these abominable errors though as to the event the Lord made good help to His true Church out of the same Now to consider the application of this in the event we will find it fully agreeable to this prophesie 1. When the devil raised up four grosse abominable errors immediately after the Churches obtaining of peace there was a generall concurrance of the plurality of the visible Church and Officers thereof for discovering confuting and condemning the same and censuring the abettors thereof thus they are the first heresie to wit that of Arius which denied the eternity of the Godhead of the Son was condemned by the first famous Councel at Nice during the reign of Constantine the great and by his concurrence The second error of the Macedonians who denied the personality of the holy Ghost was condemned by the second generall Councel which was the first at Constantinople this was convocated by Theodosius the great The third error of Nestorius who divided Christs Natures and asserted him to have two Persons as well as two Natures was condemned by the third famous generall Councell at Ephesus under Theodosius the second A fourth principall fundamentall error was that of Eutyches who on the contrary of Nestorius did confound the Natures of Christ and assert Him to have but one Nature as he is but one Person this was under Martianus the Emperour Now considering that in the event there is such a generall concurrence of the whole Church even when there were failings and a decay in many things this may well look like the earths drying up of the floud and be a part of the fulfilling of this prophesie especially if we consider in the second place that these Truths were not only maintained during the first four trumpets while the Church was not altogether out of sight for the last error is cast out after the woman as well as the first which importeth her to have had some visibility all that time but in her most declining times she hath keeped these Truths concerning the Godhead of the Son the personality of the holy Ghost the personall natures of our blessed Lord Jesus were still keeped pure in the time of the greatest darknesse of Popery In Gods providence the antichristian Church being constrained to acknowledge these four generall Councels and these particular Truths maintained in them in opposition to the former errors yea laying aside their curiosity many of their corrupt Schoolmen have done well to this purpose wherefore here we would advert 1. That their keeping pure these fundamentall Truths in that Church is a thing especially designed of God and cometh to passe by His providence and being foretold as to Him it could not be otherwise 2. We may advert and gather here that the antichristian Church is not in every fundamentall point of Christianity to be corrupt for in particular it is prophesied of her that she shall keep these Doctrines pure and not receive the floud of the first impetuous errors for the earth here is that same earth upon which the wind bloweth Chap. 7. and hurteth with Antichrists delusions and the same earth or world which in the Chapter following is said to worship the beast 3. We may enquire after the reasons why the Lord thinketh good to make use of that Church for preserving of these Truths First One reason is clear in the Text that thereby the woman that is the pure Church not only during the first four trumpets when things were not altogether corrupt as was said but also under the fifth and sixth might be fed and these most necessary and fundamentall Truths might be preserved for that end and for preventing her being overmastered or ensnared by these errors for it is like had not these Truths been generally acknowledged as determined by the Church many moe even of the Elect had been in hazard by the subtilty
Empire partly against the Goths and Lombards who then trode on Italy partly for restraining the insolency of the Exarches of Ravenna who being Deputes to the Grecian Emperour pillaged and spoiled Italy exceedingly for these Emperours rise will not come up to this beasts rise Their rise was about the 750 or 766. Neither is it of that continuance nor will the rest of the characters agree to it of having that seat c. Beside that Empire is by many counted a speciall favour of God to this part of the world Pencerus in vita Caroli Magnâ—â— which could never be said of this beasts rise The like reasons also will strike against the German Emperours or that elective succession brought in by Otho the third and Carolus the fourth who may be chief horns of this beast crowned by him to execute his decrees and may be amongst these who give their power to this beast but cannot be the beast himself Conclusion 2. By this first beast then is understood Antichrist in his Kingdom which appeareth by all the characters given 1. He succeedeth the Dragon in his seat 2. His rise reign and continuance agree to these fourty two moneths desolate condition of the Church ending and beginning with it He is worshipped not civilly only that worship is no fault in it self but religiously as no Emperour was he hath absolute dominion and taketh â—â— title to him over all Kindreds Tongues c. Their submission to him is voluntary and with admiration which was never to any civil state he hath crowned horns and Kings under him who reverence him which will more particularly appear in opening the words for all spoken here agreeth to one beast and in one state or condition to wit under the last head when the wound which the sixth got was healed things to come bring represented to Iohn as past the beast thus healed in his head is admired worshipped followed c. to him power over the Saints is given alluding as is ordinary in the Antichrists case to Antiochus Dan. so either Antichrist is no head of this beast or he is set out by this beast who this long continueth and in whom and by whom the Dragon is again worshipped by the men of the earth all which can agree to no other To speak in short then here is set out the Roman Empire as antichristian or headed with Antichrist having now the sixth head which was wounded by the throwing down of Heathenish Idolatry again healed by the papacies becoming the seventh for there are but seven and to this Empire as under this head agreeth all that is spoken unto here considering it as representing that same civil state now the seventh time carrying another head of blasphemy yet again repeated under another type that it may be known nor to be the same head though on the same beast with that which was wounded nor of the same kind altogether with the former It is true this is generally otherwayes expounded by learned Interpreters whereof some do expound this first beast to hold forth the Roman civil Empire become Christian others understand it of the complex body of Kings arising out of the ruines of the Empire as Mede calleth it universitas regum incolarum and so they distinguish this beast as representing some civil power from the two horned beast following which to them is Antichrist and an Ecclesiastick state yet upon the matter there will be found no great difference for even these acknowledge this civil power whether consisting in Emperours or Kings to be acted and made use of by this Ecclesiastick beast which is the same upon the matter that we say to wit that the head acting these horns is the Antichrist and therefore the beast is to get its denomination from the head whereby the rest are swayed Beside if we look narrowly to this description we may well call Emperours as they now are or Kings horns of this beast but cannot account them the beast it self but as they are united in and under him for the beast here is that which supporteth the whore Chap. 17. which is acknowledged by the same forenamed Author to be the Ecclesiastick beast Again this beast having its beginning immediately after the close of Heathenish persecution that can neither be said of the Roman Empire or of that university of Kings We may add that the horns of this beast being crowned that is having supream civil power cannot be thought subject to any other civil power and it is clear here that the worshippers of this beast are of equal extent with these who bear this mark and are contradistinguished from the hundreth fourty four thousand that were sealed whereby all Papists are included as under his power and seing this can agree to no Emperour whose dominion is not of such extent so neither can this beast be applied to him Again it cannot be the university of Kings for they are horns acted by this beast and so may be distinguished from him as we will often find them as Chap. 17. these horns are turned to hate the whore which was supported by this beast Chap. 19. this beast is cast into the lake with the false prophet and therefore must be understood of this first beast according to that learned Author yet can it not be said that all these Kings or Emperours go to the pit as if none of them could remain after Antichrist especially considering the prophesie of the Lords making some of these Kings who were formerly horns of this beast to become instruments of his vengance against the whore We conclude it therefore as most safe and consistent with this prophesie to expound this first beast of Antichrist who acteth these horns and to whom the Kings of the earth willingly gave their power and so to be applied to the Pope and his Kingdom supposing him to be Antichrist Conclus 3. It remaineth therefore that these two beasts must be upon the matter one the last holding forth no different state but the same which the former held forth in a different notion Therefore there is no particular description of the parts of it or of its rise in respect of time and continuance but it becometh one in all these with the former Therefore in this Chapter there is but one name one character and one beast or number alway spoken of yea they have one Sea commission c. and are designed by one beast Chap. 11. vers 7. spoken of as one Chap. 17. yea the woman that is said to sit on the beast vers 13. is called this very City or Empire Rome vers 18. The woman certainly is the antichristian Church but that woman vers 18. is not a distinct government or state from that civil state or from Antichrists state but that same supported by its civil power Therefore they are one Thus we see every one of these conclusions do follow each other if it be not the civil Empire which is typified by the first beast
time of fourty two moneths we would not conceive 1. That he was at an height in the first moneth or alway alike no but as the Churches declining grew so grew his rise Nor 2. that at the end of fourty two moneths his power shall be utterly broken no for when he killeth the witnesses then the vials are to be powred out that piece and piece slowly bring on his destruction But this is meaned that his Kingdom is on the encreasing hand till these moneths be past what opposition cometh to him he will crush it but after that he will not be so his power will be cliped his tyrannie discovered and his Authority so shaken and questioned that it will never be so universally after that accepted or be admitted to the exercise of it for as that tearm bringeth not the full outgate of the Church to an height but a beginning of it even so here Out of all this we may confirm what we said of this beast and that wound and its healing which must be before these fourty and two moneths during which time he continueth whole and persecuteth the Saints even at the very close or last part thereof His blasphemy is more fully set down vers 6. in reference to three objects whom he taketh a liberty to blaspheme which being in reference to God derogateth some way from His excellent holinesse and pure soveraign Nature when applied to men or creatures to blaspheme is to speak ill of to detract from and to wrong them by our words so to blaspheme God and the King 1 Kings 21.10 and in the New Testament often Col. 3.8 Tit. 3.2 or to make them subservient to our blasphemy This blaphemy is three wayes vented 1. Against God this he doth by assuming to himself and giving to Idols Angels and Saints what is due to God and His Son Jesus Christ. What prerogative is more than to forgive sins and to be worshipped with religious worship and this he taketh to himself and giveth to others at his pleasure making them the object of Adoration Invocation and so of Faith his Dispensations Indulgences c. 2. It is against Gods Tabernacle that is either the humane Nature of our Lord Jesus called the true Tabernacle Heb. 9. wherein God dwelleth in a speciall manner Ioh. 1. and Col. 2.9 or His Church and Saints on Earth which is called the Temple Chap. 11. opposit to the outward Court and is Gods Tabernacle with men because in them he dwelleth and as it were sojourneth till He bring them to a settled enjoying of Himself in His Temple in Heaven which sometimes in Scripture is opposed to the Tabernacle as the triumphant Church is to the militant Both these the Pope blasphemeth the first by Masses Hoafts Adorations Transubstantiation and such things as these whereby our Lords humane Nature is quite altered and blasphemed as if it were there or had a created being at the pleasure of a wretched man The second the true Church and Saints are here blasphemed to wit by curses reproaches excommunications and devoting of them to destruction and proposing them as the vilest men and as the greatest hereticks in the world Instances many are palpable 3. He blasphemeth these that dwell in Heaven that is Saints departed and Angels fathering many mischievous things on them abusing their name to Idol-worship and charmes is there any thing more wronged and abused by them than Peter and Mary the blessed Virgin when many vile things are fathered on them and sought from them as if they approved these things Idols and Idolatrous Temples stiled by them and erected to them and what greater wrong than this can be done to these Saints while as the Angel Rev. 19. reproved Iohn for it These three to wit God His Church-militant and triumphant the most excellent things in the world he wrongeth them all and in the highest degree and to whom agreeth this so well as to the Pope and all this he doth not only in his own person but by decrees ordaineth it as by law In short aâ— Antiochus blasphemed all whom in His practice he despised and abused all so shall he do and so hath he long done as if he professedly did blaspheme them The fourth part of the exercise of his power is in persecution vers 7. It was given to him even as all the rest was given to make war with the Saints and to overcome them here are his fightings with the remnant of the womans seed Chap. 12.17 he raiseth the world against them and over their bodies they prevail This war with the Saints taketh in all violent Martyrdoms of singular persons put to death for opposing this beasts usurpation as were specially in the end of those moneths very many in Italy Germany England c. It taketh in also the purposed wars that for many years to the effusion of much bloud were undertaken against the Waldenses and others that looked on the Pope as Antichrist Ten hundreth thousand men were slain as is reported by Perâ—nius apud Med. in France and this done by way of stated war not by pillagings but by making use of strong Armies once intended against the Sarracens which by the Pope were diverted and imployed against the Waldenses The historie also of the Bohemian wars after Iohn Husse and Ierome of Prague were burnt against these who were called Hussits which continued in great eagernesse for many years The history of the poor people of Piedmont Calabria and Angrongue and other places in Italy persecuted by an Army under the Lord of Trinitie the destruction of Merindoll and many poor people about in Provence by the Archbishop of Aix and the Lord of Opede President beside the many barbarous cruelties in Holland Germany France c. are evidences of this war of the beast against the Saints touched before Chap. 11.7 which bloud though immediately shed by civil men yet principally flowed from and is to be charged on the whore in whole skirts is found the bloud of the Prophets and Saints Chap. 17.6 and 18.24 The successe is set down he overcometh them to wit by spoiling them of their liberty life and temporall estate for a time but they overcome him by adhering to Truth and refusing his corruptions even at their lowest estate of suffering as it was Chap. 1â— vers 11. After these characters of his dominion his successe or the amplitude of his dominion is more particularly set out and repeated in three things 1. In its extent He had power over all Kindreds Tongues and Nations that is there was none exempted from him no Nation Tongue c. who were Christian that were preserved from his corruptions and many whole Nations carried away with it though not all of every Nation and Kindred were infected In a word it was very broad vers 7. 2. It is set out in the degree of their submission All that dwell on the earth they shall worship him that is be every way at his devotion and shall
they did yet few were capable of that joy and did joyn with them One thing is to be cleared Whether by these singers be understood these sealed ones or others distinct from them Answ. Whether we say the one or the other it will be one thing for if these first singers be distinct yet these 144000. learn the song and joyn both in the matter of it and manner of singing so in the use it will be applicable to the Church at that time 2. Though it be understood of these 144000. yet may these phrases of singing before the Throne of God and the Elders be well understood either as their doing this publickly as is said or especially as acceptable to God as by these in Heaven it may be also that the Angels and Saints triumphant are brought in here singing with whom the 144000. sealed ones joyn and agree yet the scope and connexion with what followeth will agree as well to understand it of the militant Church and that Angel mentioned vers 6. called another may be in reference to them and other Ministers for so these Angels following seem to be understood as well as to another Angel properly 3. They are described by their speciall priviledges properties or characters in number five The first is generall and comprehensive of all as the ground and sum of them all to wit that they are the redeemed of the Lord. 1. They are redeemed from the earth that is not only bought by the bloud of Christ and so in that bargain of Redemption differenced from others which sheweth it is no little thing to make that difference but also by effectuall calling differenced from the profane earthly multitude and redeemed from their vain conversation to serve the Lord in holinesse 1 Pet. 1.18 The second property is vers 4. they are not defiled with women for they are virgins By virgins here are not understood such as have keeped themselves from all conjugall fellowship for by these Virgins are understood all the true Church under Antichrist and will any say there were none Redeemed amongst all the Married of that time Beside it is such a Virginity as is opposite to defilement which Marriage is not yea to the defilement mentioned here Neither Secondly by defilement here is understood bodily fornication for there may be many other lusts beside but spirituall fornication to wit Idolatry and superstition and communicating with such worship Which is clear 1. From the opposition between defilement with women and virginity as if there were no midst or another lust which is only truth in spirituall whoredoms and virgin-chastity in being keeped to Christ. 2. That which followeth is they follow the Lamb it is such a defilement then as is opposit to spirituall adhering to Christ. 3. The scope cleareth it in that he is here describing Christs pure worshippers it keepeth the phrases of this Book especially these wherein Antichrist and his worship is set down he is called the whore Chap. 17. and it whoring and committing fornication with her See vers 8. of this same Chap. Again Christ is called a husband and faithfull adhering to Him is called chastity 2 Cor. 11.2 Faith engageth as by a marriage-knot and vow to be peculiar to Christ Idolatry and superstitious worship sinneth against that Covenant prostituting men to some other thing in His room and that is the reason of this allusion frequent in the Old Testament as in the New 3. They follow the Lamb whithersoever be goeth This sheweth 1. an adhering to Christ on any tearms and in all trials cost what it may they follow faithfully 2. A painfulnesse in following through all duties hazards and possibly places that if he go to the wildernesse they will go with Him alluding to that Gen. 2. in opposition to the former whoring that a wife or married party shall forsake all and cleave to her husband so did these sealed ones constantly and solely adhere to Christ and follow Him as their Husband 3. It importeth upon Christs side that He is tyed to no place or particular Church as Rome Constantinople or any other but may transfer His Ordinances and Candlestick where He pleaseth for the Lamb's presence here spoken of is His presence by Ordinances and Church-communion else where where He thinketh good so it importeth upon the other side the temper and inclination of these Virgins that they are addicted to no place particularly bounding Christ or seeking Him there so that if he be not there they will not go else where to seek Him as Antichrists fornicatours in opposition to these may be gathered to do who will not go out of Rome after him nay but they go with Him and follow Him weighing His presence not by places or externall priviledges but by the evidences thereof in His Ordinances and where He setteth up these there wherever it be they seek Him and acknowledge Him present The fourth property is also set down vers 4. These were redeemed from among men being the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb. This redemption pointeth at Gods wailing them out amongst others of that time and the end and scope of it to wit to be the first fruits unto him alluding to that custome of the Iews paying first fruits unto the Lord whereby they are holden forth to be 1. as holy and set a part for that use and end 2. as being the forerunner and earnest of a coming greater harvest in both which senses it may be here 1. They were holy to God when all the world was profane so all Believers are called first fruits unto God Iam. 1.18 Ier. 2.3 Thus it is the priviledge He called them unto 2. As these now appearing go before and foretell as it were the great number and harvest that were coming and to follow unto the Lord throughout the earth See cap. 7.9 even as the first fruits were an evidence and pledge of an approaching harvest so were these to God and the Lamb. And thus their redeeming from amongst men will be here their separating by effectuall calling as that before vers 3. is their generall redemption The last property is vers 5. In their mouth was found no guil for they are without fault before the Throne of God The scope is this to shew their sincerity in opposition to the hypocrisie of that time 1. There is no guile in their mouth i.e. no dissembling or counterfeiting as is said of Nathaneel They are all Nathaneels Iob. 1.47 and like that blessed man Psal. 3.22 In whom there is no guile they are as they professe seriously adhering to God in Christ whose name they bear out in their profession and are not counterfeit Christians as Antichrists followers are to whom they are opposed and in which respect they are said to be without fault i.e. the faults these were guilty of as was said before 2. This sincerity is proven or it is hinted wherein it consisteth for saith he They are without fault before the Throne of God
new task and a new piece of work He provideth Himself of new Ministers and it may be some out from among Antichrists followers and none of these who stood on mount Sion of such did the Lord make use in the beginning of the Reformation to preach and to be instrumentall for Him who were not of the Waldenses or Albigenses but drawn from the midst of Popery For the third His errand or work is to preach the everlasting Gospel to them that dwell on the earth and that to every Nation and Kindred and Tongue and People wherein we have 1. His work 2. The object or extent of it 1. His work is the preaching of the everlasting Gospel we need not tell you what the Gospel is or what the word signifieth it is that that the Angel hath to the shepheards Luk. 2.10 good tidings of great joy and it is called the glad tidings of salvation because it is eminently and excellently beyond all comparison the gladest news that ever were made mention of to sinners and the word Gospel is drawn from an old Saxon word that signifieth Gods-spell such a word to man as is the best word that ever was heard of there is none to it And it is called everlasting for these reasons 1. From the rise of it from everlasting in Gods eternall plot and purpose 2. From the effect it bringeth life and immortality to light 2 Tim. 1.10 and 1 Pet. 1. ult It is said the word of the Lord endureth for ever the effect and efficacy of it never endeth 3. It is here called the everlasting Gospel in opposition to the Papists calumnie who enquire where was our Church and Gospel before such a time and to charge the Gospel at its reviving with novelty because differing from their traditions which for a time had obscured it as if it had been buried now what is preached is the ancient everlasting Gospel although it be of new revived and the Angel is here said to have the everlasting Gospel according to that word 2 Cor. 5.18 He hath given or committed to us the word of reconciliation He is made a steward of it which designeth and denotateth an office he hath not so given it to the community or multitude but hath committed it to such and such Angels 2. The object or extent of it is generally to all that dwell on the earth and to every Nation Kindred and Tongue and People as if he said the Gospel is not now to be sent to some few as in the dayes of Antichrists prevailing but to be manifested to all sorts of People of whatsoever Kindred Tongue or Nation And it is by vertue of this commission that so many Nations and we at this day enjoy this Gospel The fourth or last thing is his message or sum of his preaching more particularly set down saying with a loud voice implying great boldnesse to be in these Ministers as was in our first Reformers His meaning is they should not by whispering do it but with great authority and boldnesse should publish the Gospel The preaching it self hath three heads and a reason is annexed to perswade unto the first two The first is Fear God The second is Give Him glory the reason annexed for the hour of His judgement is come And the third and last head is And worship Him that made Heaven and Earth c. These three look to the three great parts of Religion opposit to the three faults that the followers of Antichrist are given to The first looketh to the regulating of men in their inward frame the second in their Faith the third in their externall worship 1. Fear God This regulateth our fear as to its object to wit God which supposeth now that many things have been feared by the world more than He also it sheweth that outward service will not do it there must be a right principle within and so it is opposit to profanity and hypocrisie fear of men and Antichrists cursings which should from this forth be lesse feared 2. Give Him glory The giving of God glory is diverse wayes taken according to His diverse Attributes but we take it here to look mainly to the giving of Him the glory of His Grace in resting by Faith on Christ alone as the only Mediator and Saviour so renouncing all others as it is said of Abraham Rom. 4.20 he was strong in Faith giving glory to God and Hos. 11.7 though they called then to the most high none at all would exalt Him none would give Him the glory of His Grace by believing for as the rejecting of the Gospel is a despising of God so the receiving of the Gospel is a giving Him glory Reason 1. Because the glory of Grace is especially the glory which the Gospel holdeth out 2. Because this meeteth especially with Antichrists dishonouring of Him by giving the glory due to Him to other things Saints Angels and mens own works and in not resting on His Mediation Intercession and Satisfaction alone and this cometh nearest the scope The reason perswading to these two for the hour of his judgement is come which being compared with a word Acts 17.30 The times of this ignorance God winked at but now commandeth all men every where to repent the force of the argument is this beware now of giving the glory of Gods Grace in a Mediator to other things for though God hath spared men a while in the times of ignorance and darknesse He will not do so now when the light is broken up but will send suddain judgements on the despisers of the Gospel and many Churches that have not made use of the Gospel find this true this day 2. It is called the hour of His judgement to teach us that as God hath a set time for all things so hath He a peculiar time for judgement and as for all sinners so for these that follow Antichrists way and also that often the hour of preaching the Gospel hath the hour of judgement waiting on it if it be abused The third head of his preaching is And worship Him that made heaven and earth This looketh to their externall worship as if he said ye have been worshipping stocks idols and images of gold and silver vanities that cannot profit you now beware of continuing any longer in that way but worship the alone living and true God who is thus described that He made heaven and earth the sea and fountains of waters even as the the Apostle speaketh Acts 14.15 We preach to you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God which made heaven and earth the sea and all things that are therein almost in the same words and this cleareth that these exhortations are set down in opposition to the way they look before while they were following Antichrist God is thus described here 1. That they may see the vanity of worshipping any other than God and that they had just reason and cause of worshipping Him 2. To point
their contempt of and enmity at the light which He had made to shine Hence it is that the later Schoolmen especially the Jesuits are more corrupt than the former as may be marked in the writings of diverse Schoolmen upon Thomas who do mutilate and corrupt many things in him so as they may agree with the late determinations of the Pope and the Councel of Trent and may be most opposit to those they call Hereticks an instance whereof may be seen in Cajetan in 3. Thoma qu. 48. art 5. where explaining that assertion of Thomas that only Christ ought to be called our Redeemer which formerly we had Bellarmin contradicting he laieth down for the qualifying thereof that bull of Leo the tenth concerning Indulgences and the application of the Saints purchases to others which was sent to him when he was his Legate in Germanie and forceth such a sense upon Thomas as might agree with it Thus also as we may see was done in the Councel of Trent where ever in all debates among Divines the most corrupt side was inclined to and concluded 4. Remaining in Popery now hath more contempt with it of Gods calling and hath greater snares as is said and therefore hath lesse ground now either to expect preservation from sin or wrath because Gods call requireth separation now more fully and in a more distinct manner than formerly He did as Revel 18. Come out of her my people be not partakers of her sin lest ye partake of her plagues which doth hold forth a spâ—ciall hazard in reference both to sin and wrath after the Lords making this to be proclaimed more than formerly it was LECTURE IIII. Vers. 12. Here is the patience of the Saints here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Iesus 13. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me Write Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and their works do follow them 14. And I looked and behold a white cloud and upon the cloud one at like unto the Son of man having on his head a golden crown and in his hand a sharp sickle 15. And another Angel came out of the Temple crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud Thrust in thy sickle and reap for the time is come for thee to reap for the harvest of the earth is ripe 16. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth and the earth was reaped 17. And another Angel came out of the Temple which is in heaven he also having a sharp sickle 18. And another Angel came out from the altar which had power over fire and cryed with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle saying Thrust in thy sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth for her grapes are fully ripe 19. And the Angel thrust in his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth and cast it into the great wine-presse of the wrath of God 20. And the wine-presse was troden without the city and bloud came out of the wine-presse even unto the horse bridles by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs HAving shewed the foretold threatened and begun ruine of Babylon in the former part of the Chapter before the Spirit describe the perfecting of that judgement He casteth-in two words needfull for the strengthening of Gods people the first is vers 12. and respecteth the former words wherein Babylons ruine was foretold yet for the time Antichrist rageth and the Saints suffer This verse comforteth and encourageth them against that tentation two wayes 1. By granting that indeed this would be an occasion to exercise and try the Faith of Gods people and make it known which an hard time doth best whether they will keep the commands of God in their practice making conscience of these and the faith of Iesus Christ that is it will discover true Faith from counterfeit and who are true Professours of that Faith that is true yet withall Gods people shall have no losse by it it will be but temporary and here is their trial that is Gods end to exercise Grace and duty are best tried and known in all ill time a suffering time evidenceth honesty more than prosperity and suffering is Gods peoples ordinary lot whether Antichrist be falling or rising The second word cast in for comforting Gods people is from the blessednesse of the dead it may be especially of these that suffered under Antichrist that die well in that difficult time The first consolation is from the outgate God shall give when these trials shall be over and Antichrist ruined The second from what might comfort them in hardest sufferings for the time it is casten in here before the sad things coming be set down for two reasons 1. To be a warning of the high degree that these troubles would come unto so that these that were living should count the dead happy that died well who were freed from these dayes See Solomon Eccles. 4.2 praising the dead more than the living The second thing in the scope is to encourage and comfort the Godly that took the right way of living so as to die in the Lord these troubles should not mar their blessednesse but though the earth should triumph over them when they were dead as Chap. 11. yet even then they were and should be blessed and therefore needed not fear or faint under these trials which were coming There are four particulars in these words 1. A preface implying a weightinesse in that which was to be delivered 2. A plain maxime Blessed c. 3. A qualification not restricting that blessednesse to such a time but shewing that it is specially agreeable and applicable to it from henceforth 4. The reasons of this application that they may rest The preface cometh in by way of diversion as if it were a singular thing thereby to make what is said the more remarkable 1. It is not Iobns inventing he heard a voice 2. It is no earthly voice but a sentence from heaven such as should be respected 3. What is said is to be recorded as usefull to Gods people Write saith he to Iobn which except it be some speciall Doctrine is not usually repeated The plain Doctrine or maxime that should be written in the hearts of all Christians is Blessed are they that die in the Lord. By which words three things are holden forth 1. An end common to all which is death 2. A difference in dying and that is to die in the Lord which is peculiar to some and opposit to dying in our sins Iob. 3.24 as Christ saith that is in effect under the curse and unreconciled to God through Christ So dying in Him is to be found in Him by Faith Philip. 3.9 3. A great odds and difference of the consequents of these diverse deaths the one are blessed that
harvest is understood in the Prophets especially speaking of Babylon as was said a full return of judgement Ier. 51.33 By ripenesse is understood a fulnesse and height of sin Ioel 3. so together holding forth ripe sin and ready judgement sin hath its sowing and growth and ripening and so wrath answerable is treasured up till the harvest time as God said of the Amorites Gen. 15. their cup was not full and sin may be long in ripening for hundreds of years There is a set time for mercy Psal. 102. and a set time for judgement also The meaning in short is Antichrists sin is become great aggreged with many circumstances as now ripened and when our Lord appeared as on His way to execute judgement His Church and People stepped in to beg that it might be so which accordingly vers 16. is granted and fields of wicked men are destroyed possibly that which Antichrist lived on and the harvest he had in the earth by Gods judgements was destroyed However what the Angel had to execute is instantly done upon that petition and accordingly it followeth vers 16. in two things according to commission he putteth in his sickle Then the earth was reaped easily was the judgement executed which he intended there is no more but it was reaped when he beginneth he maketh an end Vers. 17. The second similitude followeth of the vintage which is both a sorer degree of judgement and posteriour to the former sin being now riper even fully ripe These grapes of Sodom are cut down gathered and cast into the wine-presse of Gods wrath it being usuall to the Prophets to use this similitude Isa. 63.2 3 4. It hath also three parts 1. The executioner is described vers 17. 2. His incitment to proceed vers 18. 3. The execution This executioner is an Angel yet diversly described from the former and called another yet comparing it with Chap. 19.15 Christ must be understood as principall but seing He doth these works mediately as in that same Chapter by Armies on horse-back sometimes He is represented because they act by Him sometimes the types more formally represent them who are agents because he maketh use of them however when He is represented they are not secluded contra He is not when the types resemble them most and the putting these two agents together it sheweth that though Christ 〈◊〉 instruments yet that Himself first appeareth because the work was great and the 〈◊〉 weak extraordinarily He beginneth but when the Church multiplieth He 〈◊〉 Him instruments out of her The instrument or agent is called an Angel as these who powr out the vials are yet we conceive them not to be understood as properly so seing battels and horses are not obscurely mentioned here and Chap. 19. to be made use of in the execution of these plagues but the manner of the expression of things in this Book is in the tearms of heaven It pointeth at some fit ready instrument Jesus Christ shall have to make use of when He shall have to do one or moe to cut down and cast these grapes in the wine-presse but Chap. 19. He treadeth it Himself Two things are spoken concerning this Angel 1. He came out of the Temple which is in heaven that is some member or members of His Church here called heaven for it was the wine of the earth that is of the wicked and not of the Church which was to be gathered 2. He is armed even with a sharp sickle such as Christ had to shew it was that same power whereby this instrument acted the armour and strength was of the supream Agent Hence Chap. 19. which we take to be the same judgement with this and ending Gods controversie on the beast He as King rideth foremost and the Armies of heaven follow Him to this battell yet none have armes but He and we cannot conceive them acting but He is on their head Hence we may think it the lesse absurdity that the petition again for furtherance of the work is renewed to this Angel although it be not absurd to conceive this Angel to be a Minister of the Gospel as Levits served at the altar giving direction to such as Christ should choose to execute His judgements as one of the beasts giveth the Angels the vials Chap. 15.7 and so his power over the fire will be to be understood as Chap. 11. of the Witnesses their having power over fire and diverse other plagues Vers. 18. The incitation is renewed God will be called on in every step In which ye have 1. The suiter described 2. The suit and its reasons are set down both which differ from what is spoken of by the former intercessour vers 15. the suiter is called an Angel but hath two peculiar properties 1. He cometh forth from the altar which importeth some more retired secret holy place than the Temple we can expound it no otherwise than we did Chap. 6.9 10. in the fifth seal to hold out heaven ordinarily set out by the most holy 2. He had power over the fire not as one peculiarly separated to govern that element nor one commissionated to execute judgement himself by fire properly or figuratively to be understood for then he needed not deal with him who is properly commissionated for that end and that Angel Chap. 16. is called the Angel of the waters not as having a peculiar charge ordinarily of them or over them but as peculiarly commissionated in reference to them with his vial yet it is not properly to be understood of waters as will appear it holdeth out then to speak so some contest and fight they had with fire and that the fire did not prevail over them but they overcame it by the bloud of the Lamb Chap. 12.11 and by their faith and patience Heb. 11. being invincibly armed against all torments In a word we take it to be the reviving of the Martyrs cry which was against heathen persecuters Chap. 6. Now their number is compleat and there is not that ground of suspending the judgement which was given in that place This cometh to rememberance before God who findeth in her the bloud of all Prophets and Apostles because they have served themselves heires to all and this guilt hath a loud cry before the Lord to procure the hastening and closing of Antichrists judgement So the first Angel setteth out the cry of all the Church Militant the second more especially of sufferers Triumphant See Chap. 6. This Angels suit in two things differeth from and goeth behind the former 1. The suit is thrust in thy sharp sickle it was simply sickle before This is added to shew a severity in this judgement and a holy pressing in this Angel beyond the former 2. The grapes are said to be fully ripe so there needeth no longer waiting The harvest was ripe before now the grapes are fully ripe for they have had more time 2. They had more means and former lesser judgements were despised 3. They have
first cause of their judgement which could not be of ordinary merchandizing but that in an extraordinary way she imployed such men and made it a trade honourable even for the best in such things as were sinfull wherein even Princes thought it honourable to be imployed and these imployed were thought so for though it be borrowed from the traffick of Tyrus Ezek. 27. yet it is to be applyed spiritually as many other things in this prophesie not to temporall wares but spirituall this being Iohns way as before was observed to borrow expressions from the Prophets their setting forth of temporall evils and to apply them to spirituall The second cause is her sorceries whereby many were deceived which is to be understood spiritually also as the former of entysing or bewitching Gal. 3.1 to idolatry and her superstitious worship though literally sorcery wherein Rome abounded is not to be secluded as neither in the former the literall trading where such was The third sin is persecution and bloudshed and that of all sorts Ministers and People yea she being the last persecuter and head of all the persecutions throughout other Kingdoms whether by Inquisitions Massacres or Wars she is found justly guilty of all upon the reasons given before and it is now repayed on her though others will not be freed of the judgement These are the sins now if Rome be this Babylon as adversaries confess these sins most either be the sins of heathen Rome or of popish Rome or of Rome under their feigned Antichrist that must procure this judgement for its ruine is not to be separated from its cause but they cannot be sins of heathen Rome that procureth the ruine of that city which is irreparable such as is here for 1. the sins here procuring this judgment are such as Rome is to be actually taken in the guilt of and many presently are acting in it but that idolatry and persecution of old Rome is broken off long since 2. This ruine is on an whore and therefore such sins as belong to one making defection which canot be applied to heathen Rome for this is whoring Rome that is here 3. These sins are a following step of idolatry and persecution that was to be on the earth to wit Antichrist after the heathenish persecution ceaseth as was cleared Chap. 6. for Saints are to be killed after that fifth seal which is to be performed by the beast Chap. 13. and 17. and here it is closed 4. These sins for which Rome is destroyed are the sins wherewith Babylon is formerly charged Chap. 17. and whereof the world was guilty then but these were not the sins of heathen Rome but of Antichrist neither is it very like that Rome so long time after will be punished for faults in thousands of years before or at least many hundreds It followeth then 1. that that city Rome is by this prophesie especially holden out to be a seat of antichristian tyrannie when she is found guilty of all this bloud otherwise she would not be so singularly plagued with him and for him 2. That Rome presently must be thus under this guiltiness and that its present practice is the continuing of this guilt for we cannot consider Rome guilty thus but as either under heathen persecuters and this is not the guilt for she is plagued for a present guilt and taken in the act of whoring for Gods punishment is not on the walls of a town where such sins once were committed but on persons principally presently sinning or continuing former guiltiness and long forborne and on the walls for their cause or it must be considered as guilty under an Antichrist to come and to suffer the ruine by him if so he be to come as they say but this cannot be said either for 1. they say Rome is not to be his seat but Ierusalem Therefore this judgement is not due peculiarly to Rome if that defection be not singularily acted and plotted by it 2. They say Rome is to be destroyed by him or by the ten Kings before him but that destruction would be suffering innocently and not justly for his sins as here 3. This judgement of Rome is given as an evidence of Gods justice and to continue a time as a ground of rejoycing to the Saints and as a ground of lamentation to the Kings who supported the beast and committed fornication with this whore that must therefore be a longer time before the end of the world than they make it and cannot be by Antichrist as they say but for him that it s destroyed for that would be no rejoycing to the Saints but mourning to them and joy to him and his Seing then it is not Rome one of these wayes considered it must be Rome popish for an other state of it is not alleaged by them yea it is this Rome and this destruction upon such causes yet to come for it is to be done by Kings that in Iohns time had not dominion but were to receive it and after to give it for a time to the beast and were to commit whoredom with this whore and then after that to hate her and destroy her Again it appeareth here also that many will stick in their doting to lament Rome even after its ruine which certainly could not be if they understood this Prophesie It is no marvell then it be dark to many as yet who stick so to that Antichrist then as if he were not Antichrist So it is like many will defend this Babylon at its ruine as if it were not the Babylon spoken of here The Jews still reject clear Prophesies of Christ and of their destruction for rejecting Him Prophesies then after their fulfilling are clear to such whose eyes God openeth only and are not discerned by all as Papists speak 3. Hence also we may gather it is but foolish pitty that is shown on Romes greatness in her self or pendicles such as Abbacies Monasteries c. Gods justice should be acknowledged on them and none should thus lament over them 4. It must follow then that the way of worship now at Rome must be fornication and sorcery their executions persecutions their selling of Pardons c. the merchandizing condemned here LECTURE 1. CHAP. XIX Vers. 1. ANd after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven saying Alleluja salvation and glory and honour and power unto the Lord our God 2. For true and righteous are his judgements for he hath judged the great whore which did corrupt the earth with her fornication and hath avenged the bloud of his servants at her hand 3. And again they said Alleluja and her smoke rose up for ever and ever 4. And the four and twentie elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne saying Amen Alleluja 5. And a voice came out of the throne saying Praise our God all ye his servants and ye that fear him both small and great 6. And I heard as
here how it was with the Saints 2. For removing this strange thought we would consider the Prophets manner of prophesying good to the people of God How do Isaiah Ieremiah Daniel Ezekiel Zechariah speak of the Iews estate after the captivity and how do all speak of the dayes of the Gospel in generall as the weak shall he as David their horns shall be iron and their hoofes brasse and they shall thresh the Nations they shall lie down and none shall make them afraid and many such like Yet if any would draw from them a temporall happinesse or an absolute freedom would not the event the best commentary confute him Take the prophesie of Daniel wherein often it is said the Saints shall take the Kingdom which is no temporall thing nor this intended here as appeareth in that it is a Kingdom not for a thousand years but for ever Now it being certain that such manner of speaking and expressions are usuall to the Prophets when they set out spirituall mercies or temporall deliverances that are but partiall and in their events have been inferiour to what the expressions literally Bear though they be in themselves great and glorious and this being clear all alongst this prophesie that Iohn followeth the expressions and manner of the Prophets in other things Is it not then safest to expound the events prophesied of by him in such expressions by the events prophesied of by them in the like so that the applying of their prophesies to the events wherein they were fulfilled may be a commentary to clear what sort of events are understood here 3. Consider Iohn's way in this same vision certainly some things yea many are not to be applied according to the letter but in a spirituall way to be understood as these expressions ver 6. of the first Resurrection must be necessarily meaned of rising from sin for it is a Resurrection opposed to the sinfull dead world which continue dead and did not rise 2. It is such a Resurrection as upon which freedom from the second death doth flow but that is not a bodily Resurrection but a spirituall for many at the last day rise bodily to contempt Dan. 12. which sheweth that that place speaketh of the last Resurrection And 3. it is such as the want whereof maketh men liable to the second death and it is not the want of the first bodily Resurrection according to the Millenaries themselves for then seing as they say none arise first but Martyrs none should be saved but Martyrs but the not being born again that secludeth from heaven and that expression concerning the priviledge which these that are raised here have They shall be Priests to God must either be spiritually understood or we must with Caerinthus bring back again the sacrifices and ceremonial and typical worship contrary to the whole strain and series of the Gospel And seing the former part of that 6. ver is necessarily figuratively and improperly to be understood why not the latter part also that they shall reign with Christ We conclude then that here there is no absolute temporall Kingdom promised but such as we have before hinted at We come now to speak of the second head wherein the question lyeth and that is concerning the parties who are partakers of this good condition which hath also sundry branches 1. It is questioned whether our Lord Jesus shall come personally to reign with the Saints on earth We answer negatively there is no ground to expect our Lords presence personally and visibly to converse on earth with His people though we will not say but there is in this time an eminent measure of His presence by His Spirit and Power in His Ordinances and manifestations in His dispensations more than ordinary that is not controverted But that personall presence we deny on these grounds 1. Because the Scripture is silent of it and knitteth ever Christs personal coming again and the last judgement together as holding that out to be His errand If it be said here They are said to reign with Christ Therefore He must be on earth Answ. It followeth not no more nor when it is said Gen. 5. Enoch walked with God three hundred years or that we suffer with Christ Rom. 8. or converse with Him Therefore He is on earth suffering with us or walking with us yes the very contrary followeth from this place that He is not on earth which may be cleared 1. thus So Christ reigneth with His Saints and they with Him as they do other things with Him that is suffer with Him and walk with Him c. But that implieth not a personall presence but a spirituall Therefore so doth this And indeed Saints reigning being in their sense and in a part truth opposit to Saints suffering must not then suffering with Christ be opposit to reigning with Him And so to reign with Christ will imply 1. a spirituall presence of Christ with them 2. a common interest and account of dominion as there is a common interest and account in their suffering Thus to reign with Him differenceth their good condition from the good of worldly mens conditions even as to suffer with Him differenceth the nature of their sufferings from wordly mens crosses 2. It is clear from this that it is not said simply they reign but reign with him the peculiarnesse of the dominion for these thousand years is not on His side but on theirs for He reigneth before and after only for these thousand years the Saints who did not so reign formerly are admitted to reign with Him therefore as His reign is ordinarily so is it now for there is no change on His side but ordinarily it is not personall but by His Spirit and Ordinances Therefore it is so now and no otherwise 2. Either this personall reign of Christ is after the day of judgement as the old Chiliasts thought or it is immediately before it or during it as these that would have Christ continuing as it were His judgement that long time as Tyllingast and others of late But the Text overturneth all these 1. It is not after the day of judgement for Gog and Magog are before the day of judgement yet Gog and Magog are after these thousand years Therefore it cannot be expected after it 2. It is not immediately before for 1. Gog and Magog interveens and the dominion of the Saints is interrupted before that 2. At the day of judgement Christ is not on earth but cometh in the clouds from heaven See 1 Thess. 4. ver 16 17. the Lord Himself shall descend Therefore He is not on earth then shall we that are alive be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so He is there and we shall be for ever with Him Where both these are clear 1. That at the day of judgement Christ is not on the earth Therefore are the Saints caught up to meet Him 2. It is clear that He
the Trumpets The second showeth the good outgate that the Church should have after that storm from ver 9. to the end and this giveth a hint of the Vials The Lord Christ having thus provided against these evils by this consolation Chap. 7. and having first interposed by His intercession in the beginning of this Chap. 8. Then He giveth order to the Angels to sound their Trumpets These do contain the second principal Prophesie and belong to the second period of the Church to wit from the Churches begun peace after heathenish persecution till Antichrist come up by his steps to his height This is contained in the 8 9 10 and 11. Chapters The first Angel foretelleth the rising of a violent heresie to wit Arianism whereby the beauty of the Church was exceedingly defaced The second foretelleth the great pride and contention that was to follow among Church-men which should be no little stirring to many and make way for the working of the mysterie of iniquity The third forwarneth of the corrupting of the principal doctrines and fountain-truths of Grace and the Gospel The fourth holdeth forth the more general decay of piety purity and simplicity in the Church in the age before Antichrists revealing though not yet at its height and when warning is given of three greater woes than any of these the eighth Chapter is closed In Chap. 9. two of the last great woes are set down the first or fifth Trumpet describeth Antichrists Kingdom and by the description thereof and names given to him the evil that cometh thereby to the Church is expressed The second great wo or sixth Trumpet setteth out Gods severe judging of a great part of the Christian world for that defection by letting loose the Turks upon it which with great Armies destroyed many and overcame a greaâ— part of the Empire yet these that were spared did not repent nor forsake their idolatry and superstitions for all that but Popery grew in its corruption even as the Turks grew in their Dominion In Chap. 10. and 11. because these were sad evils whereby the Church was brought low and were to be of longer continuance than any of the former lesser woes therefore before the seventh Angel sound the Lord setteth down a twofold consolation Chap. 10. and till ver 15. of the 11. where the seventh soundeth meeting with two objections first men might think shall enemies then get their will and the Church be thus still obscured when the seventh Trumpet cometh what will come of her the Lord by an oath Chap. 10. assureth His People that it shall not be so but that the Church shall be revived and that that seventh Trumpet shall bring judgement on her enemies and quite turn the chase And because it might be yet further doubted if there were a Church during that time till the seventh did sound it is shown Chap. 11. that there should be a Church and some Ministers still adhering to the former principles of the Gospel whom all enemies no not the beast Antichrist should be able to overcome till they should be at the close of their testimony and God have others to take it off their hand Then the seventh Angel soundeth when their testimony is finished and a very great and most glorious change is wrought which is generally hinted at here but more fully expressed by the Vials which are the third principal or typical Prophesie of this Book and contain the last period of the militant Churches condition to wit Antichrists decay and her enlargement after she hath been at her lowest and he at his height a little view of it is given here before the seven Vials be explained because he is to interpose the explication of what was past in the three Chapters following But before he set down the vials upon the blowing of the seventh trumpet as he had set down the trumpets on the back of the seven seals the first explicatory prophesie is interjected Chap. 12 13 and 14. and that in a different stile This serveth to clear the two principall prophesies past and maketh way exceedingly for understanding what was coming and in this the same troubles and state of the Church formerly prophesied of are here again touched in thir several steps of her difficulties with their respective outgates 1. The Churches wrestling with heathen persecution that was described by the seals is set out by the similitude of a travelling woman pursued by a red Dragon her outgate is under the expression of delivery when her birth is exalted vers 5. of Chap. 12. which war is more fully prosecuted with its outgate to vers 13. by this the devil is dethroned from the publick authority he had in the world while Emperours were heathen and authority is now on the Churches side The second step is the Churches troubles that followed on the back of that outgate it is hinted ver 6. that she fled or began to flee to shew the connexion of this decay with the former liberty but is prosecuted from ver 13. where the devils device to drown her by spewing out of his mouth a floud of filthy errours after her is marked whenas by violence or authority he could not master her the outgate from this is vers 16. the Lord provideth a way to drain these errours that they should not drown her the earth that is the then declining visible Church that continued still visible called earth because of her declining from that heavenly simplicity she appeared in vers 4. under heathen persecution becoming now earthly-like in pomp and so distinguished from these that keeped their former purity did still keep the Doctrine of the God-head of the Father Son and Spirit pure so that the pure Church now fleeing as it were hath these cruel blasts kept off her and so diverted from her as the earths drinking-in of rain suffereth not the flouds to encrease This is contemporary with the first four trumpets or lesser woes Chap. 8. When this doth not the devils businesse ver 17. he goeth to his last refuge of stirring up Antichrist and bringing of him to his height which is the first great wo Chap. 9. And because this is the great design to hold him forth and thereby to make way for clearing what was spoken Chap. 11. and what followeth to the end Therefore Chap. 13. he more fully insisteth in describing this enemy 1. in his nature by a double type of two several beasts the first showing what really he should be and what the Church should suffer by him the second shewing how he should attain to that height and by what means he should prosecute his designs upon the world and against the Saints And then when he hath described his nature rise reign practices continuance and manner of proceeding c. he cometh to shew the outgate Chap. 14. which contemporareth with the last part of Chap. 11. and is again insisted on by the vials Having put-by this explication and